Jazz permanently ban fan who taunted Westbrook
The fan whose heckling provoked a threatening response from Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook has been permanently banned from Vivint Smart Home Arena, the Utah Jazz announced Tuesday.
"Everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy and play the game in a safe, positive, and inclusive environment," Jazz president Steve Starks said in a statement. "Offensive and abusive behavior does not reflect the values of the Miller family, our organization, and the community. We all have a responsibility to respect the game of basketball and, more importantly, each other as human beings."
Part of Monday's dispute between Westbrook and the Jazz fan was caught on video, in which the perennial All-Star said, "I'll f--- you up. You and your wife."
Postgame, Westbrook said the fan had told him "'to get down on my knees like you used to.' To me, that's just completely disrespectful. To me, I think it's racial, and I think it's inappropriate."
The fan, Shane Keisel, maintains that he didn't make any racial remarks. Keisel plans to file a lawsuit against Westbrook, according to KSL TV's Felicia Martinez.
In their statement, the Jazz said they "conducted an investigation through video review and eyewitness accounts. The ban is based on excessive and derogatory verbal abuse directed at a player during the game that violated the NBA Code of Conduct."
The NBA also fined Westbrook $25,000 for directing profanity and threatening language at a fan.
Jazz players Donovan Mitchell and Thabo Sefolosha expressed their support for Westbrook earlier Tuesday and said they want fans to be held accountable for their actions.
"Racism and hate speech hurts us all, and this is not the first time something like this has happened in our arena," Mitchell said in a statement. "The Utah that I have come to love is welcoming and inclusive, and last night's incident is not indicative of our fan base."
Westbrook previously got into heated disputes with Jazz fans during Game 6 of last year's first-round playoff series.