The NBA went pretty easy on Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook after a recent verbal altercation with a fan.
Westbrook got into an intense verbal altercation with a fan a couple days ago during a game against the Jazz, and threatened to “f**k” up the man and his wife. (RELATED: Russell Westbrook Tells Fan He Will ‘F**k’ Him And His Wife Up)
Things get heated between Russell Westbrook and Utah Jazz fans again. “I’ll f*ck you up. You and your wife,” he says. Not sure what these fans said to him, but he also had issues with Jazz fans during the postseason. pic.twitter.com/LquwRmLVNy
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) March 12, 2019
According to Bleacher Report, the NBA star has been fined only $25,000 and the fan has been banned from future games.
Jazz announce they’ve banned the fan who ‘engaged in the inappropriate interaction’ with Russ pic.twitter.com/Htdvy1nbkW
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 12, 2019
NBA fines Westbrook $25K for ‘directing profanity and threatening language to a fan’ https://t.co/iPBQvxOcrO
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 12, 2019
This is a bad look for the NBA. They should have gone much harder on Westbrook. Only $25,000? Are you kidding me? He’s not even going to notice that money is missing. (RELATED: Michael Jordan Has Great Quote About His Six Rings When Discussing James Harden And Russell Westbrook)
He’s making $35 million this season. You think he gives a damn about $25,000? Hell no.
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Westbrook claimed the altercation started over a racist comment, and the fan denied that was the case. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. Banning a guy for life over a comment nobody is sure about seems like a massive overreaction.
The Oklahoma City Thunder star just has to learn to be the bigger man. He’s the one getting paid millions, and he’s the one representing a global brand.
Russell Westbrook says the comment from the Jazz fan that set him off was: “Get down on your knees like you’re used to.” pic.twitter.com/i0vIlblSwJ
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) March 12, 2019
Short of a fan threatening violence, there’s no reason to ever threaten them. I don’t care what they say. I really don’t.
If you have a problem, then go get security. That’s the only option on the table. By fining Westbrook such a little amount, the league is pretty much doing nothing.
That’s unacceptable.
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He should have been suspended for several games, and he should have lost at least $100,000. The league really dropped the ball on this one.