Westbrook threatens courtside fan, fan’s wife
Russell Westbrook explains the verbal altercation he had with Jazz fans while adding it isn’t the first time he’s been disrespected in Utah. (1:17)
Russell Westbrook confronted a male fan and his wife Monday night during the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s win at Utah, telling the man he would “f—” him up and do the same to his wife.
The exchange was caught on video and posted to Twitter by a reporter for Utah’s Deseret News. It was unclear what prompted the exchange.
According to the Deseret News, five fans received “warning cards” related to the incident. The cards cited comments, gestures and/or behaviors directed at players in violation of the NBA’s code of conduct for fans. Each of the fans were able to return to their seats, the Deseret News reported.
“I promise you,” Westbrook says in the exchange. “You think I’m playing. I swear to God. I swear to God. I’ll f— you up; you and your wife. I’ll f— you up.”
Someone off-camera then appears to attempt to verbally intervene.
“No, f— that! F— that!” Westbrook shouts, pausing before resuming his initial exchange.
“I promise you, everything I love,” Westbrook says. “Everything I love n—-, I promise you.”
Westbrook did not draw any discipline from the game officials for the exchange during the Thunder’s 98-89 win.
Dennis Schroder scored 24 points, Russell Westbrook added 23 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Utah Jazz 98-89 on Monday night to sweep the season series.
Following two separate incidents with courtside fans in Utah on Friday, Russell Westbrook said after the Thunder’s season-ending loss to the Jazz, that’s “something that needs to be brought up.”
He spoke to reporters after the game and said he has never and would never get physically violent with a women but that he was so offended by what was said to him that he would take the same actions and say the same thing if he had it to do over again.
The incident was reminiscent of the finale of last year’s first-round playoff series between the Jazz and Thunder, when Utah ousted OKC in six games, after which Westbrook became involved with a fan as he exited the court.
“I didn’t confront fans; fans confronted me,” Westbrook said after the April game. “Here in Utah, man, a lot of disrespectful, vulgar things are said to the players here with these fans. It’s truly disrespectful. Talk about your families, your kids. It’s truly disrespectful to the game, man.”
That night, Westbrook slapped at a fan’s cellphone as he walked to the tunnel following the Thunder’s loss, after scoring 46 points on 43 shots. It was the second interaction that night for Westbrook with a courtside fan, with him turning and snapping at one who said something to him as he exited the floor at halftime.
“I think it’s something that needs to be brought up,” he continued, after the April game. “I’m tired of just going out and playing, then the fans saying whatever the hell they want to say. I’m not with that. If I was on the street, they wouldn’t just come up to me and say anything crazy, because I don’t play that s—. So, to disrespect me and do whatever they want to do needs to be put to a stop, especially here in Utah.”