In the aftermath of the racist incident between Russell Westbrook and two fans on Monday that led to the ejection of both fans, Utah Jazz owner Gail Miller came to the court before Thursday’s game and addressed the home crowd.
She took a firm stance against any racism in Utah Jazz arenas, and affirmed the importance of an inclusive environment in the stands.
"Everyone who comes here, visiting teams included, deserves the right and the expectation to be treated with dignity at all times," says Miller. "When bad incidents like Monday night happen, it not only affects the player it's directed at, it also affects our players."
"No one wins when respect goes away."
This isn’t the first time that Westbrook has had issues with Jazz fans, as he’s gotten into it with them previously during last year’s playoffs.
The team has already made efforts to address the situation, banning the fans in question and releasing a statement condemning their actions. Donovan Mitchell also aired his own thoughts on the issue, mentioning that he plans on working with his teammates to make NBA arenas more welcoming.
There can be a healthy amount of trash talk in the game, but there is also a line that shouldn’t be crossed, and just because you pay money to sit courtside doesn’t mean that you have free license to do or say things with the athletes on the court. Some things just shouldn’t be said.
h/t Twitter/utahjazz
