Chandler Parsons says Mavs fans still have ‘actual beef’ with Kristaps Porzingis
"There is an actual beef there where it's going to be every time he touches the ball, he's getting booed."
Kristaps Porzingis is expected to play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, according to reports.
While his return will likely prompt cheers in Boston, he can expect a different kind of reception when the series shifts to Dallas for Game 3, according to former Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons.
Porzingis isn’t the only player facing his former team in this series. Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving is a former Celtic.
During a recent interview with FanDuel’s “Run it Back,” Parsons said Boston has a more intense dislike for Irving than Dallas does for Porzingis, but there will still be plenty of booing.
“It will be way more violent towards Kyrie Irving in Boston, no doubt,” Parsons said. “But, don’t get it twisted, they do not like Porzingis in Dallas. Luka [Doncic] did not like playing with him. There is an actual beef there where it’s going to be every time he touches the ball, he’s getting booed.”
Porzingis played three of his seven seasons in Dallas, and never topped more than 57 games in a season during his time there. The Mavericks made the playoffs during each of Porzingis’s seasons with the team, losing in the first round during the first two. They made the Western Conference Finals after trading Porzingis during the 2021-22 season.
“It didn’t work out and Dallas, for whatever reason, those fans are (prideful),” Parsons said. “If you’re hurt, if you’re not playing, if you’re not doing what you were doing years before you got to the Mavs, they don’t like it.”
Parsons said Porzingis and Irving facing their former teams will add some extra “juice” to the matchup.
“Porzingis is not Kyrie Irving, but there is a situation here,” Parsons said. “I remember even when I would leave teams in the regular-season when you go back and play that team you want to prove something. You want to show them what they’re missing. The game has more juice to it.”
“Now we’re talking about the NBA Finals and this is how it’s matching up? So yeah, I think there is definitely is more motivation for both these players. It will definitely be more gnarly for Kyrie Irving in Boston, but I guarantee Porzingis gets booed every time he touches the ball.”
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