WARNING: This story involves explicit language that may be sensitive for some readers.
A Phoenix Suns fan was involved in a verbal altercation with Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook at halftime of the teams’ first game of their first-round series versus each other Sunday night.
The fan reportedly taunted Westbrook, calling him ‘Westbrick’ for the amount of shots Westbrook missed in the game. Westbrook retaliated and said, ‘Watch your mouth, motherf—.”
This is not the first time Suns fans have been involved with controversy since 2021, their first of three straight playoff berths.
A Phoenix fan, Nick McKellar, notoriously developed a phrase that stuck with the Suns’ team in the 2021 playoffs, “Suns in four.” He punched a Denver Nuggets fan in the final minutes of Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals.
A fan also was seen counting $100 bills during Game 5 of the NBA Finals while Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo shot free throws and took several seconds. It had comedic value, but the man has also been outcasted by some Suns fans for his behavior.
Apparently, he is the guy who taunted Westbrook at halftime, according to some observers.
Westbrook has also had verbal confrontations with fans in his career, including a dispute with a Utah Jazz fan in 2019. That fan received a lifetime ban from Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.
The Suns lost Game 1 of their first-round series against the Clippers, 115-110. They will return to action tomorrow at 7 p.m. PT. The game will be televised by TNT.