By Jordan Long
The NBA playoffs are still in the 1st-round. Only one team has advanced to the 2nd-round, the Milwaukee Bucks who swept the Miami Heat. With that, there is a very concerning story other than just the NBA playoffs, fan misconduct at some of these playoff games.
There have been a few incidences with fans during the NBA playoffs. After game 2 of the Philadelphia 76ers win over the Washington Wizards by the score of 120-95, a fan decided it was okay to throw popcorn on Wizards’ point guard Russell Westbrook as Westbrook was heading to the locker room. Westbrook wanted to go after the fan but was held back from going into the stands. That fan has now been banned from the Wells Fargo Center where the 76ers play. In game 4, a person in the Verizon Center in Washington decided to come onto the court. This individual slapped the backboard and was tackled. This idiot was taken out of the arena and may face charges.
Another event occurred in Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was in game 2 when the Knicks tied up the series 1-1. In that game, a supporter of the Knicks decided it was okay to spit on Atlanta Hawks “superstar” Trae Young when he was inbounding a pass. That person has also been prohibited from any events in Maddison Square Garden.
In game 4 of Brooklyn’s 141-126 victory over the Celtics, a Celtics fan threw a water bottle at Brooklyn’s point guard Kyrie Irving while Irving was leaving the court. The man was identified as 21-year-old Cole Buckley. He was arrested and charged with one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
These are way too many confrontations with fans. People buy tickets to go watch entertainment. Tickets aren’t low cost either. For the Celtics for example, the tickets left for game 6, range from $95 to $614 on ticketmaster.com, a lot of money to spend for one game.
The majority of people go to games to watch the best athletes play a game whether it is basketball, baseball, hockey, or football. They are there to enjoy a game. Cheering and booing is all part of the fun and are acceptable behaviors. They should never cross the line of throwing something or running onto the field. The only time it is okay to toss something is in hockey when a skater scores a hat trick. Hats are thrown onto the ice in celebration and are then donated.
These fans have to understand that throwing an object or trying to get on the field is dangerous. An object can not only hurt the athlete but fans below them if they miss. Attempting to run or even making the way onto the playing surface is hazardous. The athletes don’t know if the fan is carrying something that could hurt them plus the players could knock them down for the fan to be injured. They will be tackled by security and taken away. Most likely they will be charged and not allowed to return to the arena or stadium ever as they will get a lifetime ban. The field or the court is not an area for the fans.
Fanatics have to understand they are there to support their team. They are lucky to be able to go to these venues. Last year at this time, there weren’t sports other than baseball but they were playing their games without fans because of the COVID19 pandemic. Hockey and basketball eventually returned but in a bubble setting.
There is no reason to stop a game for a fan’s stupidity. More needs to be done to prevent things like this. If it gets bad enough, basketball may have to remove more seats to make it tougher for somebody to enter the court or toss something or the other option is fewer fans at games. Nobody wants to go back to no fans at arenas. It is time for this to stop.
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