A home crowd is supposed to be raucous and make things uncomfortable for the away team and any fans brave enough to be in the stands surrounded by the opposition. That being said, there are times where the line can be crossed and that seems to have happened toward the end of the Phoenix Suns–Dallas Mavericks game.
Chris Paul fouled out in the fourth quarter but that seemed secondary compared to what happened in the stands. Video showed Paul talking to security that looked very much like him saying, “He put his hands on my mom.”
Paul took to Twitter after the game to vent his frustration, pointing out the double standard between players getting fined “for saying stuff to the fans but the fans can put they hands on our families.”
Soon after, it was reported to Dave McMenamin of ESPN that Mavs fans had put their hands on Paul’s mother and pushed his wife while his kids witnessed what happened. Marc Stein elaborated with a statement from the Mavericks that said they were “aware of an incident,” called it “unacceptable behavior,” and the fan was removed from the game.
Statement from the Mavs after Game 4: “The Dallas Mavericks are aware of an incident between a fan and the family of Chris Paul. It was unacceptable behavior and will not be tolerated. The Mavericks, along with American Airlines Center, swiftly removed the fan from today’s game.” https://t.co/nBW7dPkj0E
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 9, 2022
It remains to be seen what happens next. It’s just unfortunate that it gets to the point where someone in the stands takes things too far.
[Video: r/NBA/@CP3/@mcten/@TheSteinLine]
