When Grayson Allen checked into the game against the Bulls on Friday, he was not expecting the warmest welcome to the Windy City. And, well, Chicago fans booed by the Bucks guard.
However, Allen—who played basketball at Duke in one of the fiercest and raucous environments at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and heard plenty from fans in opposing ACC arenas—was not really phased by the fan displeasure following his Jan. 21 incident with Bulls guard Alex Caruso.
“That was weak, I’ve had way worse in college,” Allen said of Bulls fans booing him during the game.
Allen experienced his fair share of boos and fans reaction of him during his years of playing for Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski. One notable example came in 2017 when boos rained down from Syracuse fans inside the Carrier Dome.
Fans carried signs mocking the Duke star with captions that read “50 Trips of Gray” and “Duke's Tripping They Can’t Win Here.” The signs were in reference to Allen's behavior during that season, during which he served a one-game suspension after a string of instances in which he appeared to trip opponents.
Allen was probably not worried about the boos from the fans in Chicago, as he's experienced similar treatment quite a bit throughout his career. And one thing for sure, he is going to stay true to himself, regardless of what people think of him.