A Boston Celtics fan was arrested on Sunday night for throwing a water bottle at Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, and that fan is now facing a serious charge.
Boston police said Monday that the fan, identified as 21-year-old Cole Buckley, has been charged with one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. That is a felony charge.
Irving and his teammates were walking toward the locker room after their 141-126 win over the Celtics when a water bottle nearly hit the Nets point guard. The fan who threw the bottle was later seen being escorted from TD Garden in handcuffs. Police said a witness reported having seen Buckley throw the bottle, according to WCVB.
Irving played for the Celtics for two seasons and indicated he would sign with them long term. He ended up changing his mind and left for Brooklyn, where he is now in his second season.
Leading up to Game 4, Irving told the media that he dealt with racism from fans during his time in Boston. He said the water bottle incident was another example of that and “treating people like they’re in a human zoo.”
Prior to the bottle being thrown at him, Irving went out of his way to disrespect the Celtics’ midcourt logo.
