The basketball court can inspire hard feelings, and the vitriol of NBA fans has produced considerable controversy in recent seasons.

Fan animosity is not new to professional basketball. 2004’s “Malice at the Palace” for example, saw players leap into the seats in pursuit of their taunters. But the NBA is reaching a crossroads regarding fan conduct, as more players call for measures to keep hecklers in check.

In recent years, there have been many incidents involving some of the best basketball players nowadays who have been victims of verbal abuse. Luckily, the teams have taken actions in order not just to punish those fans but also to prevent such incidents.

Following are a few incidents with fans going too far in the wrong direction which got them banned for life from the arenas.

LeBron James get two Pacers fans ejected

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AapZtJwLvHY

LeBron James had enough of a couple of hecklers during the Lakers’ visit to Indiana to face the Pacers.

James was clearly upset and disgusted by what the fans told him, so he reached out to the referees to get them kicked out immediately. When asked about the situation, he claimed they made some intolerable comments.

“There’s a difference between cheering on your home faithful… and then there are moments where it goes outside the lines,” LeBron James said after the game. “When obscene gestures and language come into it — can’t be tolerated.”

The internet quickly came to James’ rescue, with a couple of fans in attendance confirming on YouTube and social media that the fans said some terrible things about his elder son Bronny.

“I was there… it was more than those two but they were the loudest. The girl said “I hope Bronny dies in a car wreck,” the guy kept chirping like a chicken sound “Bronny’s a bih bih bih.” It was very weird and they were asked by staff to cool it once or twice,” one the fans wrote.

Russell Westbrook’s popcorn incident in Philadelphia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba6oeZ5mYjs

Russell Westbrook went down with an ankle injury during the fourth quarter in Game 2 of the Washington Wizards’ first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers in 2021.

As the veteran guard walked into the locker room, a fan at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center poured their popcorn on Westbrook’s head. Westbrook was incensed and had to be restrained by members of the Wizards staff.

You can’t blame Westbrook for being so upset given the intensity of the game and the frustration that resulted from needing to go into the locker room with a fourth-quarter injury. If this fan thought he was being funny, he’s wrong.

The fan who dumped popcorn on Westbrook was banned indefinitely from Wells Fargo Center and has had his Philadelphia 76ers season-ticket membership revoked.

“We apologize to Russell Westbrook and the Washington Wizards for being subjected to this type of unacceptable and disrespectful behavior,” the Sixers said in their statement. “There is no place for it in our sport or arena.”

In addition, the National Basketball Players Association released a statement calling on fans to “Respect our Players. Respect our Game.”

“True fans of this game honor and respect the dignity of our players,” the statement read. “No true fan would seek to harm them or violate their personal space. Those who do have no place in our arenas. And their conduct is appropriately evaluated by law enforcement just as if it occurred on a public street.”

Westbrook himself also shared his view on the incident.

“To be completely honest, this s— is getting out of hand, especially for me,” Westbrook said. “The amount of disrespect, the number of fans just doing whatever the f— they want to do — it’s just out of pocket. There are certain things that cross the line. In any other setting … a guy was to come up on the street and pour popcorn on my head, you know what happens. In these arenas, you got to start protecting the players. We’ll see what the NBA does.”

Russell Westbrook gets ‘racial’ taunt In Utah

The Philadelphia incident wasn’t the only one involving Russell Westbrook.

In 2019, Westbrook then with the Oklahoma City Thunder, said a fan directed “disrespectful” and “racial” comments toward him.

“A young man and his wife in the stands told me to get down on my knees ‘like you used to,’ ” Westbrook said.

In a video posted on Twitter by a reporter, Westbrook can be seen using expletives to say that he will beat up the fan and extends the threat to include the man’s wife. The video is about 30 seconds long and does not show the full encounter or what prompted Westbrook.

After the game, Westbrook told reporters that the man had said “disrespectful things” about him and his family that he thought were “racial” and suggested that the video posted online lacked important context.

He acknowledged that he had threatened to beat up the fan’s wife but said he had “never put his hand on a woman” and “never will.” He also stood by his actions, saying, “If I had to do it over again, I would say the same exact thing.”

The NBA announced that it had fined Westbrook $25,000 “for directing profanity and threatening language to a fan.” The announcement came shortly after the Jazz, in a statement, said the fan would be permanently banned from all events at Vivint Smart Home Arena because of “excessive and derogatory verbal abuse directed at a player.” The team said it had conducted an investigation that included reviews of video and eyewitness accounts.

“There’s no protection for the players,” Westbrook said. “I think there are a lot of great fans who like to come to the game and enjoy the game. And then there are people that come to the game to say disrespectful things about me, my family.”

Knicks fan spits on Trae Young

The Atlanta Hawks were embroiled in a heated playoff series with the New York Knicks in 2021 and Trae Young’s amazing performance has made him Madison Square Garden’s public enemy no. 1.

After subjecting him to obscene jeers in Game 1, a courtside fan in Game 2 took things to an unfathomable level of disrespect by seemingly spitting on the Atlanta point guard.

As Young was inbounding the ball during the fourth quarter, a liquid that resembled spit flew from the stands near Young. Fortunately for the fan, Young was too focused to acknowledge the incident. However, it was caught on tape and fans wasted no time condemning the perceived perpetrator.

After the game, the Knicks organization investigated the case and went out with a statement.

“We investigated the matter and determined that this patron, who is not a season ticket holder, did indeed spit on Trae Young, and for that reason, he is now banned from The Garden indefinitely. We apologize to Trae and the entire Atlanta Hawks organization for this fan’s behavior. This was completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our venue. We have turned the information over to the appropriate authorities,” the team said.

Trae Young, however, has declined to press charges against the fan.

“We appreciate the Garden’s response to the incident, and Trae’s focus remains on his teammates and Game 3,” Young’s agent, Omar Wilkes, said.

Hawks coach Nate McMillan said he wasn’t aware of the incident until Thursday morning but reiterated that “there is no place for that” in the game.

“You have to draw a line,” McMillan said. “Unfortunately, I just think we’re living in a society where really, people just don’t have respect anymore. In no way should that be allowed or should that happen at a sporting event or really any event where you are coming to watch a game. I think New York did what they should’ve done in that situation. It’s uncalled for. And it shouldn’t happen.”

Three Jazz fans were banned for racist remarks towards Ja Morant’s family

Game 2 of the 2021 Western Conference first-round between Utah and Memphis was electric, as playoff energy roared throughout the Jazz home arena.

Unfortunately, and disgustingly, three of those voices decided to spew racist and inappropriate remarks towards Ja Morant’s parents.

Tee Morant, Ja’s mother, shared his view on the incident.

“I know heckling. We were doing that the whole game. But that’s different than heckling. That’s straight-up disrespectful. That was too far out of line. You don’t say anything like that heckling. That’s beyond heckling.”

The Utah Jazz quickly dealt with the verbal abuse, ejecting all three fans and banning them from Vivint Smart Home Arena. Later, the Jazz came out with a statement regarding the incident.

“The Utah Jazz have zero tolerance for offensive or disruptive behavior. An incident occurred last night involving a verbal altercation during Game 2. Arena security staff intervened, and the investigation resulted in the removal and banning of three Jazz fans indefinitely. We apologize to all who were impacted by this unfortunate incident and condemn unacceptable fan behavior.”

Jazz owners Ryan Smith and Dwayne Wade, alongside All-Star Donovan Mitchell, also made comments regarding the verbal abuse.

“Memphis Grizzlies and Morant family… we are embarrassed and sorry. The Utah Jazz has zero-tolerance for offensive behavior. We are committed to creating a respectful, competitive environment,” Smith said on Twitter.

“If we turn our backs on this kind of behavior we’re all a part of the problem. This will not be tolerated! Apologies once again to Ja and his family,” said Wade.

“I’m glad those fans were banned and they should never be allowed back…. this is ridiculous!!! The fact that these words are being thrown around to players and their families is ridiculous! Enough is enough smh!” wrote Mitchell

Boston Celtics fan arrested after allegedly throwing a water bottle at Kyrie Irving

After helping the Nets to a 141-126 victory, Kyrie Irving had a water bottle tossed at him by a fan at TD Garden on his way down the tunnel.

The fan was promptly identified and arrested by TD Garden security, and will be subject to a lifetime ban from the venue, according to a spokesperson.

“A guest was arrested by Boston Police at the end of tonight’s Boston Celtics game for throwing an object. We will support and provide assistance to Boston Police as this incident is under review. We have zero-tolerance for violations of our guest code of conduct, and the guest is subject to a lifetime ban from TD Garden,” Tricia McCorkle, a TD Garden spokesperson, said in a statement.

“It’s unfortunate that sports have come to this kind of crossroads,” Irving said after the game. “Just underlying racism and just treating people like they’re in a human zoo. Throwing things at them. At a certain point, it just becomes too much.”

Cole Buckley, 21, of Braintree — whose occupation is listed in court paperwork as a student at the University of Rhode Island was promptly identified and arrested.

A police account of the incident revealed that the Dasani water bottle “grazed the head” of Irving. Earlier reports had said the bottle narrowly missed him.

“Towards the end of the game, the PC1 (Capt. Terenzi) called for Officer Rooney to assist with security to remove a fan,” the report reads. “The PC1 advised that security was off with a suspect that three a Dasani water bottle at the head of Brooklyn Nets player Kyrie Irving. Upon arrival, Officer Rooney handcuffed and removed the suspect from the arena, while Capt. Terenzi spoke with the witnesses. A witness from TD Security (Jack McCorkle) advised that he witnessed the suspect (Cole Buckley) throw a Dasani Water bottle that grazed the head of Irving. The event was also witnessed by Brooklyn Nets Security (Fred Galloway). Security located the suspect who had thrown the water bottle as Brooklyn Nets players were exiting the court and headed into the locker room. The witness (McCorkle) stated there is a video of the incident.”

Why Are NBA Fans So Toxic?

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