The 2021 NBA Playoffs have been marked by great performances while also providing a lot of great atmospheres due to the return of fans to arenas after a season of mostly empty arenas due to the pandemic. It has been a lot of fun to have the passion and electricity back in these arenas.
However, there have been a few bad apples that have ruined the experience for others.
There was an incident in Philadelphia when a 76ers fan dumped popcorn on Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook and that was followed by a fan spitting on Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young. Then, there was an incident in Utah where fans threw racial slurs at Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant.
Things continued in Boston on Sunday when a fan threw a water bottle at Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving. The fan was arrested after the incident, but it is yet another incident that fans are just taking things way too far.
“It’s not anything that should happen,” said coach Doc Rivers. “I don’t have a lot to say about it. I think enough has been said. Fans are important for our game, but at the end of the day, there’s a respect, there’s a humanity.”
A lot of fans lose sight of the fact that yes, they pay a lot of money for tickets, but it does not give them the right to just treat the players as if they are not human. This has been a continued problem that needs to be fixed.
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“We gotta treat each other with respect,” Rivers added. “It’s alright to cheer, boo, and do all that but you start throwing bottles, spitting, throwing popcorn. Those things just can’t happen. We know that though. We already know that.”
The Sixers will look to move on to Round 2 of the playoffs if they can finish off the Wizards in Game 4 on Monday.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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