Kyrie Irving has been outspoken about his Native American roots in recent years. He’s part Sioux on his mother’s side, and this summer, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe honored him at a special ceremony for his public support against the Dakota Access pipeline, which poses all sorts of environmental and health threats to native lands.
He even has a tattoo of the Standing Rock Sioux seal on the back of his neck. So it didn’t come as much of a surprise to find out he doesn’t much care for Thanksgiving.
According to multiple Boston media members, Irving used an expletive to convey his feelings about the topic after someone wished him a Happy Thanksgiving following the Celtics’ loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
After someone told him Happy Thanksgiving, Kyrie Irving left the locker room saying he doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving.
“Fuck Thanksgiving.”
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) November 22, 2018
Kyrie Irving: “Fuck Thanksgiving.”
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) November 22, 2018
Kyrie Irving says he does not celebrate Thanksgiving: “Fuck that shit.”
— Nicole Yang (@nicolecyang) November 22, 2018
Kyrie Irving, who is part Native American through his late mother, isn't a fan of tomorrow's national holiday. "I don't celebrate Thanksgiving…Fuck Thanksgiving."
— Mark Murphy (@Murf56) November 22, 2018
Thanksgiving is obviously a complicated holiday given this country’s brutal history when it comes to treatment of indigenous people, and it’s clear Irving doesn’t want any part of the celebration. Last year, we also learned that Irving doesn’t believe that Christmas qualifies as a holiday, although we weren’t given much explanation as to why.
Irving’s comments come on the heels of a frustrating 117-109 loss to the Knicks, in which he led the Celtics with 22 points, but shot just 9-for-25 from the field. Boston has now lost three straight and are 9-9 on the season.
