It wasn’t the friendliest reception for Joe Girard’s Syracuse return over the weekend.

“Had it been in another crowd, even somewhere else that was booing me, I probably would've done the same thing," Girard said of his mindset. "So it's nothing personal, but they had their fun and we had our fun.”

What You Need To Know

  • Former Syracuse standout Joe Girard III returned to the Dome on Saturday with Clemson

  • He scored 18 points, reaching 2,000 for his career, and led the Tigers to a win

  • He called the return "surreal," adding Syracuse will always hold a special place in his heart

Girard led Clemson to a win over the Orange in front of friends and family — particularly his grandmother.

“She doesn't really go to games," Girard said of his grandmother. "She doesn't really get out of the house. Throughout my four years, she would come to games once or twice a year, maybe but to have her here, obviously it's hard for her. It's harder for her to get to Clemson. So to have her here, that was awesome.”

Girard scored 18 points in the win. He also reached a milestone, scoring his 2,000th career point on his old home court.

“SU means everything to me," Girard said. "They gave me a chance, you know, right out of high school. Obviously, Coach Boeheim playing for a Hall of Famer, you don't get to do that every day. You don't get to do that everywhere. He gave me a chance, especially being someone from New York.

“I had always followed Syracuse basketball. So to be able to put on that jersey for four years is a blessing in disguise. It was surreal, you know, I never imagined coming back and playing another game on this court, but to have that opportunity, it was awesome. I loved it.”

“Folks need to know, he loves this place tremendously and he's never said anything otherwise," Clemson head coach Brad Brownell added. "Obviously he loves Coach Boeheim and the coaching staff and all the players that he's played with, and this place will always have a special place in his heart.”

As good as the return went for Girard, his focus is on the Tigers and helping them make a postseason run.

“He now has a whole other set of folks down in Clemson that they're going to help him for the rest of his life also," Brownell said. "We're not just using Joe for basketball. I'm going to help that young man as long as he needs help for the rest of his life and hope to have a relationship with him for 40 years.”