NBA Star Thomas Loses Cool, Enters Stands in Middle of Game To Confront Fan, Swears 'I Did Nothing Wrong'
As counter-intuitive as it feels to tell one of the most diminutive players in the NBA to be the bigger man, here goes: Washington Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas really needed to be the bigger man on Saturday.
The 5-foot-9 Thomas caused a stir during the Wizards’ 125-108 road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers when, while the game was still going on, he entered the stands to confront a heckling fan.
Here’s Isaiah Thomas entertaining the stands “don’t do that man” ? pic.twitter.com/Z3mlBP0fFw
— Sports ON Tap Hoops (@SONTHoops) December 22, 2019
According to Thomas, the heckling fan gave him a pair of middle fingers and told him “F— you, b—-” three times.
To be clear, this is in no way a defense of the fan’s behavior. The Sixers run a promotion where if an opposing player misses both free throw attempts, fans get a free Wendy’s Frosty. That promotion was apparently the impetus for the lewd fan behavior.
Sorry, but a 99-cent dessert, even a tasty one like a Wendy’s Frosty, does not really justify that type of behavior.
But Thomas needs to shoulder some responsibility too, if not the bulk of it. Thomas is the millionaire and professional athlete. Frankly, who cares what a classless fan has to say?
To give him some modicum of credit, Thomas wasn’t overtly demonstrative with the fan. But he still had a fairly egregious lapse in judgment given that it was an idiot fan and, oh yes, the game was still going on.
Thomas was ejected for entering the stands, as he should have been.
Isaiah Thomas was ejected for entering the stands and talking to a pair of Sixers fans #RepTheDistrict pic.twitter.com/aRqmvNWUQ2
— NBC Sports Wizards (@NBCSWizards) December 22, 2019
Thomas’ antics may have been more palpable had he showed any semblance of contriteness after the incident. Even a non-apology along the lines of, “I shouldn’t have done that,” would’ve sufficed.
Instead, Thomas swore that he “did nothing wrong.”
“A fan has both of his middle fingers up, and said ‘F— you, b—-‘ three times. … I go in the stands to confront him. … His response was, ‘I’m sorry. I just wanted a Frosty.'”
Isaiah Thomas explained why he went into the stands to confront a Sixers fan. pic.twitter.com/ZpYrmEHZKz
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 22, 2019
“The league knows: I did nothing wrong,” Thomas explained. “There just should be a respect factor (from the fans). Like, I’m not going to go to anybody else’s job and call you out of your name, no matter how mad I make you. I don’t even know how I can make you that mad when we were down 15. We lost the game. That’s all I’m saying. I’m a man before anything, and that just wasn’t OK to do — and I just had to say something.”
According to ESPN, the Sixers fan was a season ticket holder and he, along with his cohort, have both been suspended for the rest of the year by the 76ers. They will be refunded for the remaining games.
The NBA has yet to announce a punishment for Thomas.
Speaking of the NBA, the league has been mired in controversy this year and can’t be thrilled with this latest incident. Just as the NBA seems to be getting over the controversy surrounding Hong Kong, the league now has to deal with a familiar problem involving fans being a little too close to the action.
NBA fans could certainly show a little more decorum.
But NBA players, who are living their best lives given their exorbitant salaries, need to stop stooping to those classless fans’ level.
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