PHILADELPHIA, PA — Washington Wizard starting guard Russell Westbrook left the game early due to an ankle injury he suffered in the fourth quarter of Game 2 against the Philadelphia Sixers on Wednesday night.
As he limped into the tunnel surrounded by training staff and security officials, Westbrook was doused with popcorn from an uncivil fan. Westbrook had to be restrained by security as he was visibly upset at the fan’s actions.
“To be completely honest, this s**t is getting out of hand, especially for me. The amount of disrespect, the amount of fans just doing whatever the f**k they want to do — it’s just out of pocket,” Westbrook said. “There are certain things that cross the line.”
Lakers superstar Lebron James showed his support to Westbrook via Twitter regarding the incident.
After the incident, Valerie Camillo, president of business operations for the Wells Fargo Center, released a statement shortly after the game that read: “This was classless, unacceptable behavior, and we’re not going to tolerate it at Wells Fargo Center. We’re proud to have the most passionate fans in the country and the best home-court and home-ice advantage around, but this type of behavior has no place in our arena.“
Moving forward what exactly the NBA will regarding incidents like what happened to Westbrook remain to be seen.
“To get food thrown on top of me, it’s just bulls**t,” Westbrook said. “Obviously, I have learned to look the other way. But to a certain extent, you can’t just keep looking the other way.“
