Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon did not have a very pleasant homecoming Friday night.
For starters, Boston suffered its first loss of the 2023 NBA playoffs -- a 130-122 defeat at the hands of the Hawks in Game 3 of the teams' first-round series. Brogdon's frustrating evening was compounded by a harsh reception from Atlanta fans, who targeted the Sixth Man of the Year winner early and often at State Farm Arena. The chorus of boos came on the heels of Brogdon, an Atlanta native, accusing Hawks fans of not being "the most dedicated" supporters in the NBA.
In an interview with The Athletic, Brogdon argued his critique was "misconstrued" and "taken out of context." The 30-year-old also opened up about his feelings on being booed in Atlanta, the city that has "the most special place" in his heart.
"It hurts, it hurts," Brogdon told Jared Weiss. "I love this city and I love these people. I want to continue to do right by them and I hope they'll continue to embrace me when I’m back. There's nothing like being from Atlanta and coming back to play in Atlanta. Even when you're not on the home team, the people embrace you. They still cheer for you, they still show love and Atlanta's always done that for me."
Brogdon added: "It's definitely fun when fans go at you and boo you and taunt you and talk a little mess. But not in your city. That's the one exception. Atlanta, this is the one place where I’m like, 'No.' This is my home, these are my people, I know this city. I embrace this city and this city's embraced me and raised me and loved me. This is where I want it to be all good."
Time will tell if Hawks fans ease up on Brogdon on Sunday when the Celtics potentially play their last game in Atlanta this season. Should Boston prevail in Game 4, it can clinch a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals in its own building Tuesday.
