AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
Add three Utah Jazz supporters to the list of NBA fans who have been banned from attending games in recent days.
Marc Stein of the New York Times reported the Jazz ejected the fans from Wednesday’s Game 2 of Utah’s first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies and then banned them indefinitely.
Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune noted the fans were removed for heckling Ja Morant’s family.
Morant reacted to the decision by the Jazz, adding that his family should not be subjected to “inappropriate s–t.”
Morant’s father, Tee, told Tim MacMahon of ESPN that the fans made “vulgar or racist comments” to the guard’s parents.
“I know heckling,” Tee said. “But that’s different than heckling. That’s straight up disrespectful.”
MacMahon added more details:
Tim MacMahon @espn_macmahon
Ja Morant’s dad Tee told ESPN that one of the banned Jazz fans said to him: “I’ll put a nickel in your back and watch you dance, boy.”<br><br>Another made a sexually explicit remark to Ja’s mom Jamie. The third told her: “Shut the f— up, b—-.”<br><br>ESPN story: https://t.co/vfuuL2EYsq
While teams increasing their attendance capacities during the playoffs has brought back the type of postseason atmospheres that were missing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there have already been a number of fan-related incidents in the first round.
A Philadelphia 76ers fan dumped popcorn on Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook in Game 2 of that series when the nine-time All-Star was walking down the tunnel after suffering an ankle injury.
The 76ers announced they revoked the fan’s season ticket and banned him from Wells Fargo Center indefinitely.
Elsewhere, a New York Knicks fan spit on Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young during Game 2 of their series. Like the 76ers, the Knicks announced the fan was banned from Madison Square Garden indefinitely.
This isn’t even the only Thursday development involving Utah fans.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported a judge dismissed a $100 million lawsuit that fans Shane Keisel and Jennifer Huff filed against Westbrook and the team regarding a 2019 incident.
Those fans were banned from Jazz games after Westbrook said they directed “racial” and “completely disrespectful” language toward him.
On the court, Morant’s Grizzlies earned a split in the first two games on the road in Utah. While Memphis lost Game 2, the star point guard poured in 47 points.
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