Celtics

New England native Duncan Robinson had a reason for his taunt of Celtics fans during Game 7

"They’re sending me memes of Curt Schilling’s bloody sock. It’s just all these random numbers, like 70 texts."

By Conor Ryan

May 31, 2023

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Duncan Robinson might have grown up a Celtics fan in New Hampshire, but the Miami Heat forward did his best impression of a WWE heel on Monday night at TD Garden.

In the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ season-ending loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, Robinson converted on a layup. As the 29-year-old sharpshooter made his way back down the parquet floor, he raised his hand to his ear in order to mock a stunned arena of over 17,000 fans.

Of course, any player in the process of orchestrating a Game 7 victory on the road is more than entitled to dish out some trash talk.

But Robinson revealed on JJ Redick’s “The Old Man and the Three” podcast that there was a specific reason why he decided to taunt Boston fans on Monday night.

“I don’t know how this happened but maybe someone I went to high school with … my number got put in a group chat somewhere,” Robinson said. “It was a massive group chat. So after we lose Game 6, my phone is blowing up from all these random New England numbers. [Saying] ‘Get ‘[expletive]’, ‘Celtics in 7’, they’re sending me memes of Curt Schilling’s bloody sock. It’s just all these random numbers, like 70 texts.

“I’m like, ‘what is going on?’ And I’m also pissed, since I’m on the heels of this bone-crushing loss, not to mention I missed some shots down the stretch I’d like to have back. … So then I start thinking and creating all these scenarios in my head. I’m like ‘If I get the chance and I go into the Garden, I’m going to do something.”

Clearly, Robinson and the Heat got the last laugh.

Robinson averaged 11.4 points and 2.1 3-pointers per game during the Eastern Conference Finals for the Heat, who will open play against the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

“You would be shocked at how many people that really bothered,” Robinson said. “I heard from a lot of people. It was very polarizing. Some people loved it, and then obviously, all the people that were bitter back home were like, ‘That was so unnecessary. Classless.’ All this stuff, but whatever.”