Winslow on Westbrook-fan incident: ‘As a player, there’s nothing really you can do’
After Russell Westbrook’s heated exchange with a fan during the Thunder’s win over the Jazz in Salt Lake City on Monday night, Heat players were asked following Tuesday’s practice about their experiences with fans over the years.
The questions came one day after Westbrook said, “I’ll [expletive] you up,” to the man after “completely disrespectful” comments were directed at him. According to Westbrook, the man told him to “get down on your knees like you’re used to,” which Westbrook considered “racial” and “inappropriate.”
The incident, which came with Westbrook near the Thunder’s bench, was caught on video.
“That’s tough. I definitely have had a lot of instances with fans or the crowd or the opposing team,” Heat guard Dwyane Wade said when asked about Westbrook’s situation. “That’s the tough part of the game. Obviously, most of the time, the microphone or the camera is on the player. It goes both ways. A lot of times, it’s started from the other way and it’s directed at players. You want to say be above it, be bigger than that. But a lot of times, it’s personal. It becomes some things that you cannot ignore, especially when it’s about your family. I wasn’t there. I don’t know what happened in that instance, but I’ve been a part of a lot of them and it gets nasty.”
Heat point guard Justise Winslow said he’s been called “all types of names, racial slurs” by fans in opposing arenas.
“There’s a lot of times when fans do take it too far. And as a player, there’s nothing really you can do,” Winslow said. “You retaliate and you’re kind of like the bad person. You don’t say anything and they just kill your ego, kill your pride, kill your everything. It’s a tricky line. But for the most part, all the fans are pretty respectful and keep it positive or just slightly negative, not too harsh.”
The fan, Shane Keisel, told ESPN that he did not say anything inappropriate to Westbrook. Instead of “get down on your knees like you’re used to,” Keisel said he actually told Westbrook to “ice those knees up!”
“We are continuing to investigate the unfortunate exchange at tonight’s game between Russell Westbrook and fans,” a statement released by the Jazz said. “Multiple warning cards were issued by arena security. Players and fans have a shared responsibility to create a safe and respectful environment. If it is determined that any fans violated the NBA Code of Conduct, appropriate action will be taken.”
According to the NBA Fan Code of Conduct, “Players will respect and appreciate each and every fan.” But it also says, “ Guests will not engage in fighting, throwing objects or attempting to enter the court, and those who engage in any of these actions will immediately be ejected from the game.”
Westbrook also had a run-in with a fan in Salt Lake City during last season’s first-round playoff series against the Jazz.
“They’ll poke the bear,” Wade said. “He’s had the same thing happen in Utah. Probably the same group of people. They come back and poke the bear again, and try to get a reaction. They think it’s cute, they think it’s funny. ... But obviously you see there was something said that was very serious, and he didn’t appreciate it.”
It’s an issue Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has seen more of recently.
“I just think that in the world that we live in now, everybody seems to be getting more emboldened, and there seems to be less boundaries than what there used to be,” Spoelstra said. “I could be wrong about that, but that’s what I’m sensing. That’s what I’m hearing. ... It’s great having fans into their home teams and taunting and the noise level in road arenas, opposing places. It’s awesome. That’s what you want. But you don’t need to cross the line and say something that you would never say if you were walking up to one of these players on the street.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2019 at 4:25 PM.
