Seriously, where does it end?
Another day, another unsavoury moment from the top of the sporting tree.
Oklahoma City Thunder player Russell Westbrook has laid into rival fans during his side's 98-89 victory at Utah Jazz.
The guard was spied becoming embroiled in a fiery argument with a man and wife sitting courtside at the Vivint Smart Home Arena after what he described as provocation with "racial" undertones.
The man wasn't happy!
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
It's not the first time Westbrook has had a run-in with rival supporters. During last season's playoffs with the Jazz, the 30-year-old was caught on camera arguing with Jazz fans on his way off the court, sending a cell phone flying in the process.
Last month, the former UCLA Bruin got into an interesting conversation with a father of a young lad who seemed to push the six-foot-three superstar during the third-quarter of the Thunder's defeat to Denver Nuggets, a year after pushing another Nuggets fan who got up in his face.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ALRPXLRC_c
Russell called for sanctions to be imposed on fans who abuse players, after last night's encounter, bemoaning the "sense of no protection for the players".
Full statement from Russell Westbrook on the interaction with a fan at the game tonight: pic.twitter.com/UzEfmVmEHC
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) March 12, 2019
The Utah fan involved was also interviewed post-match and immediately pretested his innocence, claiming the "classless" Westbrook reacted in a total NSFW manner.
Shane Keisel said he thought the two were "having fun".
Shane Keisel, the Jazz fan who was involved in a verbal altercation with Russell Westbrook during the Jazz loss to the Thunder, explains his side of what happened. @KSL5TV @kslsports #nba pic.twitter.com/ScCSRttTCg
— Jeremiah Jensen (@JJSportsBeat) March 12, 2019
It's been a crazy few days for Fan v Favourite altercations, after a dark weekend for British football.
On Friday night, a Hibs fan confronted Rangers captain James Tavernier as he prepared to take a throw-in during the Scottish Premiership tie at Easter Road, whilst Sunday saw a particularly scary incident as Aston Villa captain was assaulted by a Birmingham City fan who made his way on to the pitch during the Second City Derby.
There was more drama last night, as Conor McGregor was arrested after stomping on the phone of a fan who was taking pictures of the UFC fighter coming out of a Miami hotel in the early hours of the morning.
