5 times Russell Westbrook clashed with fans during NBA games
Russell Westbrook was involved in an unfortunate incident during Game 2 between the Washington Wizards and the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday (May 26). A Sixers fan poured popcorn on the former league MVP while he was leaving the court following an injury scare.
Russell Westbrook had to be held back by team staff and security as he appeared to be outraged by the incident. The Wizards star later expressed his displeasure over the debacle, and other NBA stars have also come out to condemn the fan, who has been indefinitely banned by the Philadelphia 76ers.
5 instances where Russell Westbrook was involved in altercations with NBA fans
Russell Westbrook is a player who is known to play with his heart on his sleeve, exuding passion and expressing his emotions whenever he is on an NBA court. However, the all-time NBA leader still gets unwarranted hate from fans, as was the case yesterday in the game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
We take a look at 5 occasions where Russell Westbrook ended up in an altercation with NBA fans.
#5 OKC Thunder vs Philadelphia 76ers, 2016
Russell Westbrook's recent run-in with the Philadelphia 76ers fanbase is nothing new. A Sixers fan was ejected in 2016 for an obscene gesture directed towards the point guard. Westbrook, who was a part of the OKC Thunder back then, was equally bemused and agitated by the incident.
However, he refrained from getting involved with the offender, and ended up having the last laugh as he scored 32 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a comfortable 103-97 OKC Thunder win.
#4 OKC Thunder vs Utah Jazz, 2019
Back in 2019, Russell Westbrook was part of another incident that involved provocation from a fan. Some exasperating words from a Utah Jazz fan led to Westbrook firing back, which eventually resulted in the supporter getting banned for life and the former Houston Rockets guard being hit with a hefty $25,000 fine.
Utah Jazz players including Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Thabo Sefolosha came out in support of Russell Westbrook, and this instance brought the issue of fans' unruly behavior towards players in the spotlight.
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