Chris Paul had more fouls , 6, than points, 5, in the Suns 111-101 Game 4 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, but what took place off the court is why this game will be the subject of discussion for sometime to come.
An ugly scene played out in the stands of Game 4 of the Mavericks/Suns Western Conference Semifinals.
A Mavericks fan relentlessly heckled both Chris Paul’s wife and mother; if that wasn’t objectionable enough, this slack-jawed miscreant decided to up the ante on his imbecility and allegedly putting his disgusting mitts on Paul’s mother and pushing his wife.
Needless to say , Paul took great exception to this, telling the assailant in a unveiled threatening manner that he’d see him later.
As of late the intensity of fan/player interactions have been pushing the envelope in an alarming direction. the most notable examples are the anti-black epithets spat at Russell Westbrook in Utah , the actual wishing of death of Bronny James directed toward LeBron James and even direct physical contact, as was the case when a fan in Philly smacked the hand of-then Lakers guard Rajon Rondo.
Those incident are clear-cut instsances of inexcusable fan behavior , but those are at least just directed at the players. What makes the Paul situation, atrocious, abhorrent and potentially frightening is that the target of this deplorable behaviour was not the player, but their families. The quickest way to experience the full, unbridled wrath of a man is to threaten or harm his family. What must be made tacitly clear is that though these NBA players may be superstars to many of us, for another group of people, they are fathers, sons, brothers, nephews and uncles. Long after the last jumper has swished, the last dunk slammed home and the adjulation of the masses now bestowed upon other stars it is those people who will be there for them.
in-person NBA game spectators, understand the fact ypu have purchased a ticket that grants you entrance into the arena and a seat in no way entitles you to do and say as you please, That is not to say that I am anti-heckle or trash talk, quite the contrary, however, there is a line that you do not cross with that and the issue is that too many fans today are habitual line-steppers. Unfortunately for some fans, the only way that line can delineated for them may be at the end of the fist of security or an NBA player.
