Statue of beloved Celtics coach gets Knicks glow-up -- thanks to The Post -- ahead of Game 5 in Boston
BOSTON — Wicked rude, bro!
The Post dressed a statue of beloved Celtics coach Red Auerbach in a Knicks jersey to poke fun at the teams’ Eastern Conference rivalry Wednesday — and Beantown fans were steaming hotter than a large cuppa Dunkin.’
“Bro, that’s f—ked up, that should be a crime,” one 20-something said as he walked by the bronze likeness at Faneuil Hall.
For the prank, The Post slipped a jersey of Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson onto the statue of the coach, who won eight NBA championships in a row from 1959 to 1966.
The Big Apple’s favorite paper then adorned him with a New York Post cap and stuck Tuesday’s issue — highlighting the Knicks’ 121-113 victory on the backpage wood — under his arm.
“No way — they put him in a Knicks jersey. That’s disrespect,” another passerby moaned.
But the stunt lasted only 10 minutes before security guards demanded that the jersey be removed, declaring the site is “private property.”
Isaac Schweiger, 21 — a Knicks fan who grew up on the Upper East Side and now lives in Boston — laughed at the unlikely mascot.
Schweiger said he doesn’t often encounter open New York fans in Boston.
“[My] friends never shut up. They don’t lose often, but when we do play them like we did this year, [it’s] a bitch for the Celtics fans,” said Schweiger, a Northeastern business student.
Schweiger said he feels “confident” about winning the East Conference semifinals Wednesday night.
“The stars are aligning and hopefully we can just end it tonight, and face the Pacers and cruise on to the finals. That’s the goal,” he said.
The Knicks are on the brink of heading to the East Conference Finals if they beat the Celtics in Game 5 Wednesday. Knicks lead the series 3-1.
Tipoff is at 7 p.m. on TNT for those not watching from TD Garden.
