6/2 11:07 AM PT -- 6/2 -- Cole Buckley -- the 21-year-old fan who allegedly threw a water bottle at Kyrie Irving -- appeared at Boston Municipal Court on Wednesday for his arraignment ... and was ordered to stay away from the TD Garden.
Buckley entered a not guilty plea for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon ... and was silent as he left the courthouse.
Cole Buckley makes his court appearance for throwing his Dasani water bottle at Kyrie Irving. pic.twitter.com/bDVbCoXCm6
— Scott McGrew (@ScottMcGrew) June 2, 2021
Suffolk County DA Rachael Rollins spoke with reporters about the case ... saying, "It is not lost on me that he chose to do this in a sport that is overwhelmingly Black men," according to reporter Juliana Mazza.
"We are not going to allow this trend to continue. Period. End of story. We have not charged him with a race-based hate crime or civil rights violation, but you don’t get to behave this way."
Buckley is due back in court in August.
Kyrie Irving was the target of another idiot fan Sunday night who almost beaned the b-baller in the head with a water bottle ... and this time the culprit was arrested.
A fan threw a water bottle at Kyrie Irving as he and his teammates were exiting the game. They were not thrilled about it.
— The Jump on ESPN (@NBATheJump) May 31, 2021
📽️: @YESNetwork #NBAPlayoffs #NBATwitter #TheJump pic.twitter.com/UTk27a43kB
The incident went down in Boston at TD Gardens ... as Kyrie was walking out, you see the bottle come within a hair's breadth of his head. His teammates were outraged, and Tyler Johnson scoped out the crowd and ID'd the culprit.
A fan threw a water bottle at Kyrie Iriving as he was leaving the court, he was then arrested.
Cops say the fan in question is 21-year-old Cole Buckley, who is now charged with one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Yeah, a water bottle in the wrong hands is a dangerous weapon.
Update: pic.twitter.com/8poBfKZqza
— Michael Grady (@Grady) May 31, 2021
An eyewitness says he saw Buckley throw a Desani water bottle in Irving's direction. Buckley was wearing a Kevin Garnett jersey as he was taken into custody and removed from the arena.
Irving said after the incident ... "You're seeing a lot of old ways come up... just underlying racism and treating people like they're in a human zoo. Throwing stuff at people, saying things. There is a certain point where it gets to be too much."
Kevin Durant also chimed in ... “Have some respect for the human beings and have some respect for yourself. Your mother wouldn’t be proud of you throwing water bottles at basketball players or spitting on players or tossing popcorn,” Durant said. “So grow the f**k up and enjoy the game. It's bigger than you."
Russell Westbrook left the game after an apparent ankle injury... Then a fan showered him with popcorn. pic.twitter.com/Q26rHhO50e
— FanSided (@FanSided) May 27, 2021
Just days earlier ... a fan dumped popcorn on Russell Westbrook during the NBA playoffs as he walked off the court injured. Afterward, Westbrook said players need protection from out-of-control fans.
Originally Published -- 5/31 6:20 AM PT