Bad Fan Behavior Continues: Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant Says Fans Need To Grow Up After Fan Throws Bottle At Kyrie Irving In Boston
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Sports fans continue to display their worst behavior during the NBA Playoffs. Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant is calling out fans after his teammate, Kyrie Irving, had a water bottle thrown at him in the latest poor fan behavior incident.
"Fans got to grow up at some point," Durant said. "I know that being in the house for a year and a half with the pandemic got a lot of people on edge, got a lot of people stressed out, but when you come to these games, you have to realize these men are human. We are not animals, we are not in the circus. You coming to the game is not all about you as a fan. So, have some respect for yourself. Your mother wouldn't be proud of you throwing water bottles at basketball players or spitting on players or tossing popcorn. So grow the f- up and enjoy the game. It's bigger than you."
(Disclaimer: The video below includes explicit language.)
The Brooklyn Nets had just beat the Boston Celtics 141-126 to take a 3-1 series lead when Kyrie Irving became the latest NBA player to have something thrown at him.
Irving and his teammates were leaving the court at TD Garden when a fan threw a water bottle at him.
"People just feel very entitled out here," Irving said. "They pay for their ticket it's great, I'm grateful they're coming in to watch a great performance. We're not at the theater, we're not throwing tomatoes and random stuff at the people that are performing, it's too much. It's a reflection on us as a whole when you have fans acting like that. Hopefully, people learn their lessons."
The incident was caught on video.
The fan who threw the bottle was arrested after the incident.
This incident comes less than a week after a Philadelphia 76ers season ticket holder was indefinitely banned from the Wells Fargo Center for dumping popcorn on Russell Westbrook during Game 2 of the Sixers-Wizards series. Westbrook was heading to the locker room with an injury when the fan dumped popcorn on him.
Westbrook had to be restrained by multiple people.
A New York Knicks fan was also banned from Madison Square Garden last Wednesday after he was caught on video spitting at Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young.
The NBA says they are enhancing their fan code of conduct and it will be "vigorously" enforced.
"The return of more NBA fans to our arenas has brought great excitement and energy to the start of the playoffs, but it is critical that we all show respect for players, officials, and our fellow fans," a statement said. "An enhanced fan code of conduct will be vigorously enforced in order to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all involved."
