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NBA is Investigating After Courtside Fans Allegedly “Directed Vulgar Profane Flopping Remarks” Toward Jalen Brunson
By Matt Schultz
Published:
The Knicks took the first game of the NBA Finals on the road in San Antonio on Wednesday night, but Jalen Bruson didn’t seem all that pleased about it as the buzzer sounded. The New York guard spent the final few seconds of Game 1 talking to ref Scott Foster about some fan comments he didn’t like:
It should go without saying, of course, that fans can’t just say whatever they want. If some dumbass is yelling something racist, homophobic, misogynistic, anything of that ilk, there needs to be repercussion, no doubt. But that isn’t confirmed here, at least not yet. ESPN corroborated Haynes’ report that the NBA is investigating, but we don’t know anything about what the fans actually said other than Haynes’ explaining it involved flopping.
Which leads me to a dire conclusion: The NBA may be on the verge of a full-blown softness epidemic.
I know how this sounds, but I assure you, I’m not being an alarmist and I’m not being reactionary. This is a troubling trend I’ve had my eye on for some time – and I believe the players are solely to blame. Here’s how I see it: Over the last decade or so, there’s been a bizarre shift in what players think the role of the fan is in the NBA ecosystem. For millions of years, it’s been the fans’ job to show up to the arena and hurl insults at the opposing team. Playing on the road, especially in the playoffs, is supposed to be hell. The away team is the heel, then when they get back to their arena, they’re the babyface. That’s the way it works. That’s the fun of it. It’s fun.
But over the last few years, the players began seeing this as unacceptable. LeBron James started getting fans kicked out of games. Kevin Durant began regularly arguing with the crowd, then would get home and argue more on Twitter. Remember when Russell Westbrook said that fans calling him “Westbrick” was too far because it’s an insult to his family name and legacy? How about last week, when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s lawyers issued a cease and desist to Underdog over their Unethical Hoops board game?
Somewhere along the line, the players have somehow gotten it into their heads that fans in the arena aren’t supposed to say anything. To them, the fans aren’t a part of the game – they’re an irritating byproduct they wish would go away. They believe fans should silently sit on their hands, if they’re allowed into arenas at all. If fans want to express joy, they can nod. If they want to express disapproval, they can shake their heads. But anything more than that and they will tattle on your ass…
What a sad, soft state of affairs. All that’s left to do is hope and pray that a player will come along and save the league from its softness. Who knows, maybe he already walks among us. Maybe it’s Victor Wembanyama… the Prince That Was Promised… Spurs in 5… Yes…
Matt Schultz is a comedy and sports writer from Philadelphia. He’s written extensively for ClickHole, The Onion, and Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. His work has been featured in Vulture, Deadspin, The A.V. Club, Paste Magazine, and other publications. Much of his sports journalism can be found on college basketball websites that don’t exist anymore (PhilaHoops Heads rise up…)