Jazz ban fan for Westbrook taunt

NBA star Russell Westbrook will play in Utah again one day. When he does, a fan who allegedly made racial taunts against him will not be there to watch.

A day after the Thunder standout directed vulgar comments which were captured on video and went viral toward two fans, the Jazz responded by banning a fan from their arena. Westbrook also got support from Jazz star Donovan Mitchell, who said it wasn’t the first time a racially motivated event happened at a Jazz game.

“The Utah Jazz will not tolerate fans who act inappropriately,” the Jazz said in a statement. “There is no place in our game for personal attacks or disrespect.”

Westbrook was fined $25,000 for “directing profanity and threaten- ing language to a fan.” In the video, which was posted to Twitter by The Deseret News , Westbrook is seen on the sideline near the Thunder bench saying “I’ll (bleep) you up, you and your wife.”

The comment, and threatening a woman, is not a good look for the image- conscious NBA especially since it came from a former Most Valuable Player and one of the game’s biggest stars. But Westbrook, who has had multiple angry ingame exchanges with fans, insisted that Monday night’s video during a 98-89 Oklahoma City win over the Jazz told only one side of the story. He said he was responding to a racial taunt, and not for the first time in Salt Lake City.

“Every time I come here, a lot of disrespectful things are said,” Westbrook said.