15 Despicable Moments From NBA Fans That Will Leave You Shaking Your Head

    New school course idea: "How to Behave at Public Events."

    Jeremy Hayes
    by Jeremy Hayes

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    While the 2021 NBA Playoffs have been a fun watch, it has also led to the return of fans...which, unfortunately, has led to some ugly player-fan incidents.

    Columbia Pictures Television

    It's a shame that this behavior isn't anything new to the world of basketball or sports in general. Here are some of the worst examples of fans being disruptive throughout the NBA's modern era:

    1. Popcorn being tossed on an injured Russell Westbrook:

    SportsCenter @SportsCenter

    Russell Westbrook appeared to have popcorn poured on his head by a fan on his way to the locker room with an apparent injury. The fan was ejected from the game.

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    @espn

    Obviously we should start with the most recent example. Westbrook had to be held back after a fan poured all his popcorn onto the Washington Wizards star after he had to be helped off the court because of a tweaked ankle.

    2. A fan spit on Trae Young:

    House of Highlights @HoHighlights

    A fan that appeared to spit on Trae Young last night has been BANNED from MSG, per @ShamsCharania. 😳

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    @hohighlights

    A disgusting act from a New York Knicks fan. No words. The fan has been banned for life from Madison Square Garden, but yikes, this was an embarrassment. Young has made this series so entertaining, and no athlete on the planet deserves treatment like this.

    3. A fan threw a beer at a player:

    Basketball players on court and a beer bottle on the ground
    TNT

    In 2009, some absolute piece of work decided to chuck their beer bottle at one of the players during the playoff game between the Denver Nuggets and the New Orleans Hornets.

    4. A Celtics fan hit Lamar Odom with a vodka bottle:

    Celtics playing against Lakers while one Laker player flinches
    ABC

    Another fan decided to throw something at a player, this time a vodka bottle in Boston at Los Angeles Lakers player Lamar Odom. Rightfully so, all the players seek out the fan for them to be tossed.

    5. A fan cussed out LeBron James as he left the court:

    LeBron looking out at crowd
    Tricky y / Via youtube.com

    Tasteless moment from a fan after LeBron James leaves the court after a game.

    6. A guy showed Russell Westbrook the double birds:

    Fan raises middle fingers mere feet away from Russell Westbrook
    FOX Sports

    After a ridiculously good layup, a Sixers fan decided to flip off a cheesing Westbrook right in front of his face. Westbrook's reaction is priceless, but also depressing because you can tell he deals with this crap too much.

    7. Kyle Lowry was shoved by not just a fan, but a team investor:

    Warriors fan shoves Kyle Lowry
    ESPN

    Golden State Warriors investor Mark Stevens decided to shove Kyle Lowry when he fell into the stands. Maybe you don't belong courtside if you're going to have a short fuse when a player falls into the stands.

    8. A Utah fan yelled in Russell Westbrook's ear:

    Fan yelling in Russell Westbrook's ear
    ESPN

    Russell Westbrook departs the court at halftime during a playoff game when a Utah fan decides to cuss him out mere inches away from him. He turned in anger and then told a security guard to toss him.

    9. James Harden was flashed by a laser:

    James Harden holding basketball and pointing to the crowd
    AT&T Sports Net

    During a free throw attempt, a fan flashed a laser at James Harden's face, and the laser flashed into his eyes. Lucky for Harden, he looked away, and it didn't affect his vision.

    10. A fan taunted Westbrook on the floor after a buzzer beater:

    Russell Westbrook pushing screaming fan away
    TNT

    After a devastating loss, a rival fan decided to taunt Westbrook to his face courtside.

    11. The infamous "Malice at the Palace" incident:

    Crowd brawling with basketball players
    NBA TV

    Arguably the worst player-fan incident in sports history. The brawl between the road team and home fans got ugly. The aftermath is even harder to watch as fans, uninvolved fans, decided to pelt the players with whatever food and drink they had.

    12. Westbrook was actually stopped at a Clippers game:

    Russell Westbrook yelling at a fan
    TNT

    A little less intense compared to other Westbrook-fan incidents, but it is hard to tell what unfolded in this situation.

    13. Russell Westbrook was racially taunted by a fan:

    Russell Westbrook talking to fan in crowd
    The Fumble

    Another Utah incident, one even uglier than the ones we've seen because there is video footage of what was said. After Westbrook told the fan "don't call him" that, the fan repeated it to taunt him. This behavior is just not okay.

    14. The NSFW Warriors Klay Thompson incident:

    Klay Thompson looking back at crowd while on the ground
    ESPN

    Another case of fans being too close to the action. One fan decided to berate Klay Thompson while he was down.

    15. And finally, when it got so bad, LeBron had a courtside fan tossed:

    Sports Illustrated @SInow

    LeBron James set Twitter on fire thanks to his dust up with Courtside Karen https://t.co/AKbPCdglFF

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    @sinow

    Bold choice to cuss out a player during the pandemic. It's not like you can blame someone else or play coy.

    Safe to say: Maybe having "adults" that can't act normal in public be right on top of athletes courtside during a game is not the best way to go. What was the most embarrassing NBA player-fan incident you have witnessed? Comment below.