Washington Wizards point guard Russell Westbrook is furious after a fan dumped a bucket of popcorn all over him as he left the court on Wednesday. And LeBron James has also spoken out over the fan’s outrageous actions.
Westbrook suffered an ankle injury during Wednesday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers in Philly when the fan acted out as Westbrook left the court.
Video of the incident shows Westbrook limping off the court until he suddenly erupts in a fury. The player quickly began trying to take out after the fan as coaches and others restrained him from running up in the stands to confront the popcorn thrower.
After the game, the player excoriated the fan and said he stepped over the line, TMZ reported.
“To be blatantly honest, man, this s**t is getting out of hand, especially for me,” Westbrook said. “The amount of disrespect, the amount of fans just doing whatever the f**k they want to do, it’s just out of pocket, man. It’s out of pocket, seriously.”
Westbrook added that he would not have taken the action lightly if it happened in the street.
“A guy wouldn’t come up on the street and pour popcorn on my head because he knows what would happen,” he added.
Westbrook also accused the NBA of failing to protect its players.
L.A. Lakers star LeBron James quickly sided with Westbrook, writing on Twitter: “By the way WE AS THE PLAYERS wanna see who threw that popcorn on Russ while he was leaving the game tonight with a injury!! There’s cameras all over arenas so there’s no excuse! Cause if the shoe was on the other foot.”
Ultimately, the 76ers said they identified the fan, canceled his season pass, and then banned him from all activities at the arena.
“We apologize to Russell Westbrook and the Washington Wizards for being subjected to this type of unacceptable and disrespectful behavior,” the Sixers said in a statement Thursday, adding, “There is no place for it in our sport or arena.”
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