The Utah Jazz banned a fan for life from attending games at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Tuesday. The decision results from an encounter between Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook and fan Shane Keisel. Westbrook said that Keisel directed "racial" and "completely disrespectful" comments at him during a game between Utah and Oklahoma City in Salt Lake City on Monday night, which prompted Westbrook to respond angrily.
The Jazz announced the ban in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.
The incident gained notoriety after videos of Westbrook turning to the man on the sideline and saying, "I'll f--- you up. You and your wife," went viral on Twitter. Westbrook said he was responding to the fan telling him to "Get on your knees like you're used to." The former MVP said he would say the exact same thing if he had to do it over again.
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"I truly will stand up for myself and my family, for my kids, for my wife, for my mom, for my dad," he said. "I expect everyone else to do the same."
For his part in the incident, the NBA fined Westbrook $25,000. Several players from the Jazz spoke out in support of Westbrook, including franchise's stars like guard Donovan Mitchell and center Rudy Gobert.
Keisel denied saying anything inappropriate, per ESPN, instead he said he told Westbrook to "ice those knees up."
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