The heated verbal altercation between then-Thunder star Russell Westbrook and a Utah fan during the OKC's win over the Jazz a few years back provided America another argument to dive into. Just… fantastic.
Westbrook threatened the fan and his wife, and after the game was over, Westbrook said that his response was provoked by a racial taunt thrown at him by the fan.
There has been a lot of talk about whether or not Westbrook crossed the line in his response and also whether or not fans have too much freedom to say whatever they want when they go to basketball games. Like the movie Frozen, but instead of snow, debate raged on… the common sense never bothered people anyway.
The fan is banned from Jazz games forever, so a hefty punishment was definitely handed down. But, this isn't the first time this type of thing has occurred in Utah, and it's not even the first time it has happened with Westbrook.
Remember: during the NBA Playoffs a few years back, Westbrook got into it with Jazz fans during the Thunder's series-deciding Game 6 loss, when he confronted heckling fans heading into the locker room at halftime. Then, after the game was over, he tried to knock a cell phone out of a fan's hands.
It doesn't just stop at Westbrook, either.
Before becoming a member of the Nets, Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant got into it with a heckling fan, and while it certainly seemed much more harmless than anything that happened with Westbrook, it only added fuel to the fire about incidents in Utah.
Look back even further, to a place in space and time when basketball games were actually played. A Jazz fan traveled to the Toyota Center to watch the game. Sounds innocent enough. People go to games to watch them. However, he then called Harden a flopper. Still, so far no big deal. But, he clearly came too close to Harden's personal space, which prompted Harden to slap the fan's phone.
The most disturbing occurrence of Jazz fans heckling opposing players came during the 2008 playoffs when Utah was battling Derek Fisher and the Los Angeles Lakers.
First, a bit of backstory.
Fisher spent the previous season with the Jazz and helped the team reach the Western Conference Finals, where they were beaten by the San Antonio Spurs.
The most memorable moment of that season for Fisher came during the second round of the playoffs when his eleven-month old daughter fell victim to eye cancer and had to undergo emergency surgery. As a result, Fisher missed most of the Jazz's Game two matchup against the Warriors, but he eventually took the floor in the third quarter and received a standing ovation from the crowd.
Fisher then drained a big shot in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime, and the Jazz went on to win.
At that time, Fisher was viewed as a hero in Utah due to his gutsy, heartwarming performance in the heat of what was probably the most adverse time of his life, but during the offseason, Fisher asked for a release from the Jazz.
He then went back to the Lakers, which brings us up to speed in the story.
In Game four of Los Angeles' second-round matchup against Utah, Fisher stepped to the free-throw line in front of an arena full of angry Jazz fans, but one fan was particularly disgusting when he covered his right eye and screamed toward Fisher, clearly poking fun at Fisher's daughter.
Now, to be fair to Jazz fans, heckling occurs inside every arena. It doesn't matter if it's Utah, New York, Los Angeles, or some high-school gym in South Dakota. If you are playing a sport on the road, chances are, you are going to get verbally attacked.
So, perhaps it's just that Utah fans get caught on tape more, so they look more guilty than everyone else. Nevertheless, there is no denying the history that comes with the Jazz faithful.
Hopefully, the Westbrook incident was the last such one we'll ever see. Not just in Utah, but in any arena.
And hey; perhaps the Jazz's decision to ban the fan will serve as a deterrent for anyone else who has plans of acting out inside Vivint Smart Home Arena.
As with everything else in the history of mankind, only time will tell. Until then, it's a bit unrealistic to expect an entire fanbase, located within a city, to change just because there was a moment when they were called out. One can hope it happens. But you know the saying, hope in one and and poop in the other; see which one feels up first.
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