UPDATED 3/15, 11:33 a.m ET: The Jazz gave out another lifetime ban after video of a fan pestering Russell Westbrook during a 2018 playoff series resurfaced. The clip showed the fan calling the guard "boy." Westbrook flagged a security guard to intervene.
To Russell Westbrook’s defense, here is even further proof of his previous interactions with Utah Jazz fans. In this video, @russwest44 is called a “boy” by a Jazz fan ahead of Game 4 of OKC’s first-round playoff series against Utah on April 23, 2018 at Vivint Arena. pic.twitter.com/lc6slA7fTo
UPDATED 5:22 p.m. ET: The Utah Jazz have issued a lifetime ban on the fan who kicked off an altercation with Russell Westbrook on Monday night.
"Everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy and play the game in a safe, positive and inclusive environment," said Utah Jazz president Steve Starks in a statement announcing the ban. "We all have a responsibility to respect the game of basketball and, more importantly, each other as human beings."
After news of the ban broke, the NBA announced that Westbrook will be fined $25K for "directing profanity and threatening language to a fan."
See original story below.
During Monday night's game against Utah, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook went off on a Jazz fan.
"I'll f*ck him up. I promise you [...] I'll f*ck you up. You and your wife. I'll f*ck you up [...] On everything I love," Westbrook can be heard saying.
Check out video footage of the incident below.
Russ was pissed off. Telling a fan “I’ll f**k you up.” 😳
(via @E_Woodyard)pic.twitter.com/dvDPWldRjs
The fan who allegedly got into it with Westbrook later recounted his side of the story. Watch the clip below, via KSL Sports Anchor Jeremiah Jensen.
Shane Keisel, the Jazz fan who was involved in a verbal altercation with Russell Westbrook during the Jazz loss to the Thunder, explains his side of what happened. @KSL5TV @kslsports #nba pic.twitter.com/ScCSRttTCg
The fan told Russell Westbrook: “Get down on your knees like you’re used to.” pic.twitter.com/IytrXMiRQ8
After the game, Westbrook talked about what went down.
Westbrook: "The realization of it is, how it started was, a young man and his wife in the stands told me 'to get down on my knees like you used to.' To me, that’s just completely disrespectful, to me, I think it’s racial, and I think it’s inappropriate"
Full statement from Russell Westbrook on the interaction with a fan at the game tonight: pic.twitter.com/UzEfmVmEHC
Russell Westbrook says the comment from the Jazz fan that set him off was: “Get down on your knees like you’re used to.” pic.twitter.com/i0vIlblSwJ
It's not the first time Westbrook has had problems with Jazz fans.
"I don't confront fans, fans confront me," Westbrook said back in 2018, per USA Today. "Here in Utah, man, a lot of disrespectful, vulgar things are said to the players here with these fans. It's truly disrespectful. [They] talk about your families, your kids. It's just a disrespect to the game and I think it's something that needs to be brought up.
There was also this:
Thunder’s Russell Westbrook takes exception to Utah fan after Game 6 loss to Jazz pic.twitter.com/Ef1cgEhVm4
Russell Westbrook snapped at a fan going into halftime. pic.twitter.com/4fOtcNcAlQ
