NBA star Russell Westbrook fined $25K for threatening to ‘f*** up’ fan & his wife
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for a foul-mouthed tirade at a Utah Jazz fan in which he threatened to “f*** him up,” while the supporter has been banned by the Jazz.
Westbrook, 30, was filmed issuing the expletive-laden tirade at Jazz fan Shane Keisel, 45, and a female supporter on the sidelines at a game on Monday.
The player claimed that he was responding to “racial” comments from Keisel to “get down on your knees like you used to.”
Westbrook had launched a furious rant, saying: "I'm going to tell you one thing, I'll f*** him up if he says that s*** again. I promise you.
"I promise you. You think I'm playing. I swear to God, I swear to God, I'll f*** you up. You and your wife, I'll f*** you up.”
Also on rt.com ‘I'll f*** you up, you and your wife’: NBA star in tirade at fan after ‘racial abuse’ (VIDEO)He later defended his actions, saying he had been subjected to “disrespectful” and “racial” language.
Keisel denied insulting Westbrook, claiming that they had merely engaged in a good-natured back-and-forth before the player snapped.
WARNING VIDEO CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE
Things get heated between Russell Westbrook and Utah Jazz fans again. “I’ll f*ck you up. You and your wife,” he says. Not sure what these fans said to him, but he also had issues with Jazz fans during the postseason. pic.twitter.com/LquwRmLVNy
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) March 12, 2019
Shane Keisel, the Jazz fan who was involved in a verbal altercation with Russell Westbrook during the Jazz loss to the Thunder, explains his side of what happened. @KSL5TV@kslsports#nbapic.twitter.com/ScCSRttTCg
— Jeremiah Jensen (@JJSportsBeat) March 12, 2019
The NBA announced on Tuesday that Westbrook had been fined $25,000 over the outburst.
“Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook has been fined $25,000 for directing profanity and threatening language to a fan,” a statement on the NBA website said.
Earlier, Utah had announced that they had banned Keisel permanently from attending games at their home Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.
Statement from the Utah Jazz: pic.twitter.com/L3eYolvrpq
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 12, 2019
Oklahoma won Monday’s game 98-89, with Westbrook scoring 23 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.