Sixers' Tobias Harris Reacts to Fan Who Stormed the Court vs. Wizards
Lately, the NBA has seen an abnormal amount of unruly fan behavior. As teams across the league begin to increase fan capacity for the 2021 NBA Playoffs, many organizations are witnessing strange acts at home and on the road.
The Philadelphia 76ers are no strangers to the unfortunate circumstances. Just last week, a Sixers fan decided to dump popcorn on Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook's head as he walked off the court with an injury.
In the same night, a New York Knicks fan spat on Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young at Madison Square Garden. Then before Monday's Game 4 between the Wizards and the Sixers, a Boston Celtics fan chucked a water bottle at Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving on Sunday night, resulting in an arrest.
Before Game 4, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers addressed the negative fan behavior going on across the league as of late. As expected, Rivers was hopeful it would stop. Unfortunately, not even a few hours later, the Sixers and the Wizards experienced yet, another unruly fan incident during the second half of their matchup.
Midway through the game, a fan in attendance at the Capital One Arena ran onto the court from the stands and jumped up to touch the backboard of the hoop near the Sixers' bench. Within seconds, he was tackled and escorted off of the court before getting arrested and banned from the arena.
After the matchup, Sixers veteran forward Tobias Harris reacted to the situation. As expected, Harris wasn't happy as the fan incidents going around the league have been frustrating NBA players a lot as of late.
"That was just some dumb*** [expletive]," Harris said after the Game 4 loss. "That was it. I don't know what you really want the NBA to do. I know people have been stuck in the house for a long time. Social media is a big thing, so everybody wants clout somewhere. So, he got his 15 seconds of fame."
Not only did the fan get his "15 seconds of fame," but he also received a ban from all future events at the Capital One Arena. Also, the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department intends to pursue charges against the fan, according to Wizards ownership group, Monumental Sports & Entertainment.
As fans are starting to see severe punishment for their negative actions as of late, many hope that an example is being set so the antics tone down as the playoffs continue to progress throughout this season.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.