A lot has changed at Boston’s TD Garden over the past few years, and mostly for the good (just ask the Royal Family).

Perhaps the highlight, especially if you’re taking a young child to an event, is the walk-through convenience store where you can slide your credit card in as you enter, pick out whatever you want, then walk right out.

No lines. No waiting. The magic of technology speeding things right along. It was much needed, as I was a bit worn out from explaining the disaster that was Kyrie Irving to my five-year-old daughter (“Why did Jaylen agree with the man who thinks Earth’s not round?” “Good question, sweetheart. Good question.”).

As we exited, however, we were stopped by an attendant. “I’m so sorry,” she said, “but I need to take the caps from your drinks.” I checked our beverages, and as neither was a Snapple (I can respect a thirst for fun facts), I asked what was up.

“I’m sorry,” she explained. “It’s an NBA rule.”

Huh? I’ve been a diehard Celtics fan for 33 years. I’ve seen people wander onto the court, and the occasional beer spill or be thrown. But not once have I seen a slew of Powerade bottle caps litter the hardwood.

“I’m sorry,” I responded, as she took away our last defense against spillage, “but, what exactly does the NBA think we’re going to do with some plastic bottle caps?”

“It’s not the bottle caps,” she replied. “What we were told is, the league is worried about people throwing a bottle full of liquid. If the bottle’s closed, it’ll travel farther and hit harder.”

Fair enough. And my daughter got a free science lesson. But I had to push a little further.

“Was there some specific event that caused this?”

“Yes,” replied the attendant. “A few years back, a player on the other team taunted some fans, and someone threw a bottle at his head. That’s when the rule started.”

There you go, Celtic fans. The next time someone comes barreling into your aisle from the men’s room and knocks over your kid’s drink, now you know who to thank…

Who else? Kyrie Irving.

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