The Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics are facing off at the TD Garden on Wednesday night, but one familiar face will not be there. Nets newest star Kyrie Irving is reportedly suffering from a shoulder injury and will not get to face the home crowd of his former team. 

It is no secret how most Boston fans feel about their former point guard and many Celtics fans in their own ‘oh-so-subtle’ way have labeled Irving a “coward”. One fan went so far as to put a poster outside of the Celtics home that gives Irving this title underneath a photo of him.

It went from Celtics fans wiping green No. 11 jerseys off the shelves and Kyrie saying he would return to Boston the following season if they would have him, to C’s fans declaring loudly they did not want to have him back.

Irving got the message, and after a disappointing season that ended in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, after which he bid Beantown adieu. 

Now, in what should have been his great return, Irving will instead be watching from the couch. Celtics fans were looking forward to “booing” Irving, but No. 11 will not be facing the music in Boston this time around.

Former Celtic Kendrick Perkins has also been outspoken about Kyrie Being in active for the game against Boston. 

After the photo of the poster outside the TD Garden hit social media, Perkins was quick to respond and answered with a, “Well damn!!!”

After Wednesday night’s game, the Nets host the Celtics for the back half of a Thanksgiving weekend home and home on Friday night and don’t go back to Boston until March 3.