Fan interactions league-wide aren't exactly off to a great start in the NBA playoffs. The latest incident involves the family of Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant.
Miami Heat icon Dwyane Wade made it a point to make a strong statement on the matter. He responded to Jazz owner Ryan Smith on Twitter about what happened to the Morant family.
“If we turn our backs on this kind of behavior we’re all apart of the problem. This will not be tolerated! Apologies once again to Ja and his family,” the former Heat star said in his reply to Smith.
If we turn our backs on this kind of behavior we’re all apart of the problem. This will not be tolerated! Apologies once again to Ja and his family 🙏🏾🖤 https://t.co/uG9QSS5ZIF
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) May 28, 2021
Ja Morant's father Tee Morant revealed the specifics of what was said to him by a few despicable Jazz fans. It was reported that the incident was limited to just a couple of fans, while the others surrounding them condemned the ugly behavior.
Ja Morant's father said Jazz fan made a sexually explicit remark at his wife, according to ESPN. Another fan said, 'I'll put a nickel in your back and watch you dance, boy,' in front of his own daughter.
Other Jazz fans confronted those fans and alerted security. pic.twitter.com/64Y3CfZTbd
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 28, 2021
Ja Morant couldn't help but speak out on the matter, imploring that his family deserves to be able to support him without facing any sort of harassment.
as they should . my family should be able cheer for me & my teammates without getting inappropriate shit said to them 💯 https://t.co/CWiJIpkq03
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) May 28, 2021
It's no just Morant's family that drew some ugly fan interactions. Over in the Eastern Conference, Russell Westbrook had popcorn poured on him while he was exiting the arena. Trae Young meanwhile had a New York Knicks fan attempt to spit on him. With incidents happening all throughout the playoffs, Dwyane Wade's words heed true. As fans of the game, we need to hold others accountable to make sure none of this stuff slips through in the future.