"They stink" - NBA fans cry foul after Raptors' management makes pregame participant remove his Steph Curry jersey
Golden State Warriors superstar point guard Steph Curry had his fair share of supporters during Monday's road matchup against the Toronto Raptors. However, one young fan at Scotiabank Arena was seemingly forced to remove his Curry jersey to participate in a pregame event, triggering NBA fan outrage.
On Golden State's home broadcast, the child could be seen courtside taking off his Curry attire before donning a Raptors T-shirt. Broadcasters Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike broke down the controversy in apparent disgust, noting that the youngster seemed dismayed by his wardrobe change.
"Pregame, something happened that just isn't right, and the Warriors are gonna try to make things right," Fitzgerald said. "This kid had a Curry jersey on, right? They made him take it off because he was gonna do a thing on the court. He put his Warriors hat and jersey (aside). They put a Raptors T-shirt on him."
"Look how sad he is," Azubuike added. "Usually you say like, 'Oh, you made that kid's night.' They've ruined his night."
Fans on X/Twitter concurred, slamming Toronto for its apparent pettiness and all-around dismal season. The Raptors entered the evening on a five-game losing streak, with a bottom-three record in the league (8-31).
"They stink. (I) can smell the stench from here, Raptors," @ElleViCi said.
"That's messed up," @artur1305 wrote.
"No wonder (the) Raptors are poverty," @Chozenboii said.
"What a sorry-a** organization. Raptors, you guys stink for doing this to that kid," @George8644Tai wrote.
"Pathetic from the Craptors," @Haki987 said.
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Raptors snap 5-game losing streak against Steph Curry's Warriors following pregame jersey controversy
While Toronto was subject to extensive criticism on Monday for seemingly making a child remove his Steph Curry jersey, it ultimately prevailed.
The Raptors rallied from a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to secure a 104-101 home victory, snapping their five-game losing skid. The win marked only their second in 18 outings amid an extended rough patch.
Toronto was led by star forward Scottie Barnes, who tallied 23 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks, shooting 42.9%. Meanwhile, six of its players finished with 12 or more points.
The Raptors overcame a game-high 26-point performance from Curry, who showed out in front of his Canadian fans. The two-time MVP again received limited offensive help from the Warriors' injury-plagued roster.
Toronto (9-31) will look to start a rare winning streak during Wednesday's home matchup against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics (28-11).
Conversely, Golden State (19-20) will attempt to return to .500 when it concludes its four-game road trip on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves (21-18).
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