The Brooklyn Nets and the Boston Celtics faced off on Friday during a preseason bout. Prior to the matchup, Nets’ star Kyrie Irving sparked attention. He walked around TD Garden with burning sage in hand while seemingly trying to cleanse the arena.
A video surfaced before tipoff that showed Irving wandering around with something burning in his hand. Several viewers had questions about the substance, but Sports Illustrated said that it was sage. The sight of Irving with sage confused some fans, but the Nets still found success during the preseason game. The team secured a 113-89 victory and set up a rematch that matters in the record books, which will take place on Christmas Day.
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Kyrie is really tryna cleanse TD Garden by burning sage before tonight’s Nets vs Celtics tipoff 😆
(via @NBCSCeltics) pic.twitter.com/yBfuU6FAAO
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 18, 2020
“It comes from a lot of Native tribes being able to sage, just cleanse the energy,” Irving said after Friday’s game. “Just make sure that we are all balanced when we come into this job and when we come into this place. It’s not anything I don’t do at home that I did today.
“I saged last game and I plan to sage almost every game if the opposing team will allow me to,” Irving continued. “Literally, it’s just more or less for us to stay connected and for us to feel great about going to work and feeling safe and provided for from our ancestors. I’m not going to bring too much of the spirituality into basketball, but yeah, it’s part of my native culture and where I’m from.”
With the TD Garden cleansed, Irving will continue to prepare for the upcoming 2020-21 NBA season. He will do so while suiting up with a new coach on the sidelines. The Brooklyn Nets announced in early September the hiring of NBA legend Steve Nash, who previously spent 18 seasons in the league. There were some people that voiced criticism of the hiring, such as Charles Oakley, but others applauded the move. The Nets simply explained the reasoning for this particular hire.
“In Steve we see a leader, communicator and mentor who will garner the respect of our players,” general manager Sean Marks said in a press release. “I have had the privilege to know Steve for many years. One of the great on-court leaders in our game, I have witnessed firsthand his basketball acumen and selfless approach to prioritize team success.”
