Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant's father, Tee Morant, said Friday that Utah Jazz fans made insensitive comments toward the family of Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks during Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Wednesday.
According to John Martin of The Athletic, Morant said the fans were calling Brooks' family "half-breeds."
Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Morant previously said that fans made racist remarks toward him and sexually explicit comments to his wife, Jamie.
In a statement, the Jazz announced that three fans had been banned indefinitely from attending games at Vivint Arena:
"The Utah Jazz have zero tolerance for offensive or disruptive behavior. An incident occurred last night involving a verbal altercation during Game 2. Arena security staff intervened, and the investigation resulted in the removal and banning of three Jazz fans indefinitely.
"We apologize to all who were impacted by this unfortunate incident and condemn unacceptable fan behavior."
Also, Jazz owner Ryan Smith wrote on Twitter that he was "embarrassed and sorry."
Fan incidents have been a significant issue during the playoffs this week, as two other teams were also forced to issue bans.
The Philadelphia 76ers banned the fan who dumped popcorn on Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook in Game 2 of their series, and the New York Knicks banned the fan who attempted to spit on Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young during Game 2 of their series.
Although the Grizzlies fell 141-129 to the Jazz in Game 2, Ja Morant was the star of the game with 47 points in 15-of-26 shooting from the field and 15-of-20 shooting from the free-throw line.
In Memphis' upset win in Game 1, it was Brooks who led the way, netting 31 points on 13-of-26 shooting, while also adding seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.
Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell missed Game 1 with an injury, but he returned for Game 2 and made a significant difference, as the Jazz evened the series at 1-1.
The series is now set to switch gears with the next two games taking place at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Grizzlies will host the Jazz for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Sunday before it shifts back to Utah for Game 5 on Wednesday.
Ja Morant's Father Tee: Jazz Fans Also Inappropriately Heckled Dillon Brooks' Family - Bleacher Report
Read More
No comments:
Post a Comment