On Tuesday, the NBA Communications office announced that Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook has been fined $25,000 for “directing profanity and threatening language to a fan.”
The NBA has announced that #Thunder's Russell Westbrook has been fined $25,000 for directing profanity and threatening language to a #Jazz fan. The #Jazz organization have issued a permanent ban to that fan for his role in the incident. pic.twitter.com/YiwsgrjsiI
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) March 12, 2019
The incident between Westbrook and the fan near courtside occurred in Monday night's contest between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Utah Jazz.
As Westbrook was taking a rest on the OKC bench, a rowdy fan decided to throw some verbal jabs at the former MVP. This led to Westbrook's outburst that was caught on tape.
The heckler directed a derogatory remark at Westbrook by telling him to “get down on your knees like you're used to.” The eight-time All-Star took this insensitive remark as a very racial one and rebutted by telling the fan “I'll f— you up. You and your wife, I'll f— you up.”
The clip of the incident went viral on social media, sparking debates as for who was in the real victim in this debacle: Westbrook or the fan.
A fine was sure to be imposed by the NBA unto Westbrook for his actions and the league certainly acted upon it with haste to prevent further damages. Fortunately, the 30-year-old OKC standout will not be serving any suspension that would've hindered the Thunder's playoff positioning late into the season.
The Jazz organization, meanwhile, imposed a lifetime ban to the fan who verbally attacked Westbrook.
Although it would appear that justice has been served unto both parties involved, the fan in question, Shane Keisel, does still plan to file a lawsuit against Westbrook stemming from the altercation.
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