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“I would’ve gotten into the stands like Metta World Peace”: Shannon Sharpe reacts to fans being disrespectful to Russell Westbrook and Trae Young

Samir Mehdi
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“I would’ve gotten into the stands like Metta World Peace”: Shannon Sharpe reacts to fans being disrespectful to Russell Westbrook and Trae Young

Shannon Sharpe claims that he would’ve gotten into the stands to exchange a few ‘words’ with the fans if they were throwing food at him. 

The disrespectful nature of fans towards players on opposing teams went to an all time high last night as all 3 games on the docket feature despicable behavior from the fans’ side. Russell Westbrook has been at odds with fans for years now and the Wizards Game 2 loss against the Sixers in Philly proved to be yet another instance of fans taking advantage of their position as consumers. 

This particular fan threw popcorn onto Russell Westbrook as he was walking into the locker room, causing the 2017 MVP to lose it and try to confront him, eventually being held back by security. The Sixers have since apologized to Westbrook and banned the fan from their arena indefinitely.

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Trae Young also experienced something similar at MSG as a fan spat on him during Game 2 last night. Ja Morant, in the Grizzlies bout against the Jazz, claims to have had racial profanities yelled at him and his family. 

Shannon Sharpe says he’d get up in the stands to have a few words with any fan who disrespects him. 

Members of the media and NBA analysts have all reacted to these events that transpired and have all condemned what took place. Shannon Sharpe and Charles Barkley seem to be of a similar mindset as they both claim they’d love to reciprocate a similar energy to any fan that’s disrespectful towards them. 

Shannon Sharpe implies that he’d enact ‘Malice at the Palace 2.0’ if fans ever did what they did to Westbrook or to Young, to him. 

Also read: “Anthony Davis won a fake ring”: Suns forward Jae Crowder appears to subtly take shots at Lakers’ 2020 championship ring

It’s almost impossible to control fans in any arena. Their close proximity to the players allows them to do or say essentially, whatever they want. It’s saddening to know that despite several punishments being laid out to a bevy of ‘fans’ across the years, more and more of these despicable acts seem to take place. 

It’s no surprise that these events took place at Madison Square Garden or in Utah. The rabid nature of Knicks fans seems to get the best of them at times. Utah Jazz fans on the other hand, have a notorious history of being racist with horrible instances involving guys like Russell Westbrook and Derek Fisher taking place, just to name a few.

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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