What an ugly incident… and it’s been one of MANY this playoff season in the NBA, unfortunately!
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving was the target of an idiot fan on Sunday night. When the star was walking off the court in Boston after the Nets’ game against the Boston Celtics, a fan threw a water bottle down from the stands, narrowly missing Kyrie’s head by just inches, if even that.
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Footage of the incident shows Irving and his teammates immediately stopping and looking up in the stands in an attempt to see who threw the water bottle. As you can see (below), it came dangerously close to the basketball star’s head, and could have seriously injured him:
A fan threw a water bottle at Kyrie Irving as he and his teammates were exiting the game. They were not thrilled about it.
????️: @YESNetwork #NBAPlayoffs #NBATwitter #TheJump pic.twitter.com/UTk27a43kB
— The Jump on ESPN (@NBATheJump) May 31, 2021
Wow!
Eyewitnesses helped pick the man out of the crowd at Boston’s TD Garden Arena, and Boston police officers came down to arrest him. According to TMZ, cops believe the fan in question is allegedly 21-year-old Cole Buckley.
They have now officially charged him with one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Just goes to show you should never throw something at athletes down on the field/court below you! It’s incredibly dangerous!
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Those watching the game on TV later shared updates on social media indicating that at least one fan appears to have been taken away in handcuffs after the game (below), though it’s unknown if this was actually Buckley himself:
Update: pic.twitter.com/8poBfKZqza
— Michael Grady (@Grady) May 31, 2021
Regardless, hopefully some semblance of justice can be served.
And yes, the fan has already been banned from Boston basketball games for life.
Probably smart!
After the incident, Irving said to the media (below):
“You’re seeing a lot of old ways come up… just underlying racism and treating people like they’re in a human zoo. Throwing stuff at people, saying things. There is a certain point where it gets to be too much.”
And his teammate Kevin Durant chimed in, too, adding:
“Have some respect for the human beings and have some respect for yourself. Your mother wouldn’t be proud of you throwing water bottles at basketball players or spitting on players or tossing popcorn. So grow the f**k up and enjoy the game. It’s bigger than you.”
Amen!
Here’s more from Irving and Durant, in their respective post-game press conferences:
Wow…
Speaking of tossing popcorn, that actually happened to Durant’s former teammate Russell Westbrook in a different NBA playoff game earlier this week.
As he was leaving the court with an apparent injury, a fan rained popcorn down upon Westbrook and he had to be restrained:
Russell Westbrook left the game after an apparent ankle injury… Then a fan showered him with popcorn. pic.twitter.com/Q26rHhO50e
— FanSided (@FanSided) May 27, 2021
There have been several other major incidents this year during the NBA playoffs, too.
Three fans of the Utah Jazz were banned from that team’s arena indefinitely after they shouted racial slurs at Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant‘s family in the stands during a playoff game this past week, too.
What gives, NBA fans?!
Why would people do stuff like this in this day and age?! Over sports?? Just watch the games and relax!!!
[Image via House of Highlights/YouTube]
The post Boston NBA Fan Arrested & Banned After Throwing Water Bottle At Star Player's Head! OMG! appeared first on Perez Hilton.
