Bucks' Myles Turner Booed In Return To Indiana

Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner got a cold reception in Indiana on Monday -- the former Pacer returned to his old home for the first time as an opponent ... only to be met with a chorus of boos from the crowd.

The jeers happened immediately after the Gainbridge Fieldhouse scoreboard played a tribute video for Turner before tipoff.

The ex-Pacer -- who spent a decade in Indy -- signed a four-year, $108.9 million contract with the Bucks this offseason ... a move that left many Indiana fans feeling betrayed.

Turner made a book-closing gesture and gave the crowd a sarcastic wave after the video ... but his night was salvaged with an impressive performance of 33 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists en route to a Bucks win.

After the game, Turner spoke about the fans' reactions ... and he was bummed.

"It was disheartening, man. It was frustrating. You give 10 years of your life, your blood, your sweat, your tears. You take pay cuts, you survive trade rumors, you try to do everything the right way, and then sometimes that's how stuff shakes out. It's cool. I'll take it on the chin."

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was quick to defend his teammate ... saying, "It is bigger than sport."

"He's gonna go back home and he’s gonna be like, 'OK, 10 years just went down the drain.' And that's not fair for anybody that gave 10 years to the game and 10 years to the Pacers."

Turner was a two-time league leader in blocks and consistently delivered solid performances during his time in Indy ... averaging 14.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 three-pointers made over 642 regular-season games.

"When I was here, I've had the same strength coach, same medical staff, same equipment managers since my rookie year," Turner continued. "So, I wanted to make sure I went back there and showed love to all my people, all my guys in the organization."

"Regardless of how the fan feels, I think I took care of all the people that took care of me."