Inappropriate fan behaviour a problem in the NBA

For many, it is great to see sports fans in the stands throughout the United States during the 2021 NBA Playoffs and Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, over the last week, one of the top headlines has not been about the exceptional play on the court, but the inappropriate conduct by spectators in the NBA.

Over the last week, we have seen numerous racist taunts, a spectator at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia try to dump popcorn on Russell Westbrook of the Washington Wizards, a spectator at Madison Square Garden in New York spit on Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks,  and a water bottle thrown toward Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets in Boston. In each case, there was discipline, and in the case surrounding Irving, there was even an arrest.

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These cases are serious, but they are not nearly as awful from what we saw from Utah Jazz spectators in 2008. In the most despicable behaviour  I have ever seen on television from a professional sporting event, what we saw from the Jazz spectators 13 years ago was horrible and as Alex Kennedy correctly wrote for Bleacher Report, “the most disgusting fans in the NBA.”

During the game, there were Jazz spectators in the stands wearing eye patches, covering an eye with their hand, and hollering “cancer”. Why? Well, it is because former Jazz point guard Derek Fisher (who was with the Los Angeles Lakers at the time), was experiencing a family tragedy. His daughter Tatum had eye cancer and Fisher requested a move to Los Angeles from Utah for family reasons.

What we saw this past week was bad. However what we saw in Utah years ago was significantly worse, as these actions (of male and female spectators) were deplorable. It would be great if Utah police looked back at the television footage during this particular time and disciplined these spectators too!

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