Yesterday, in the game between the 76ers and the Wizards, Wizards guard Thomas Jr. was suspended during the timeout
Back on the bench, a 76ers fan pointed his middle finger at him and insulted him. Then Thomas Jr. went to the audience to argue with the fan. He said: “Don’t do that. Before you are a fan, you are a fan first.
Man.” Then Thomas was ejected by the referee, and the reason why the 76ers fan abused Thomas was that Thomas made two free throws, which prevented him from getting a dessert (betting with friends), so he turned to Thomas.
Thomas vented his anger.
This incident itself seems normal. Players and fans talk trash, which is very common in the NBA. This is what basketball should be like.
Thomas Jr.’s mistake was that he shouldn’t go to the audience to argue. Such behavior is considered unsafe, but in fact Thomas Jr. was calm and not provoked. He just told the fan not to do it, not too much
The action, not even the trash talk, makes for an understandable expulsion.
However, the punishment given by the NBA today is surprising. According to Shams, Thomas Jr. was suspended for two games for entering the auditorium and having a verbal conflict with fans.
Regarding this dynamic, most netizens said that it was too much. Such behavior was not worth mentioning in Jordan’s era, and it was normal even in Stern’s era. The most commented by netizens is: Soft egg alliance; too funny
Yes, this is a two-game suspension; Xiao Hua really made the league too soft, you can get out.
Regarding the fans’ reaction, it’s not just because of this incident personally, because since Xiao Hua took office, he has been encouraging offense and playing more and more “civilized”. Not only are there various restrictions on defensive actions, but even trash talk.
You can’t spray randomly, high-scoring games have become normal, there is no muscle collision in the past, and most fans have a worse viewing experience. This is also a factor in the decline in NBA ratings.
In addition to Thomas Jr., that fan was also officially banned by the 76ers from watching the game at the Wells Fargo Center (the 76ers’ home) for one year. At the same time, he also revoked the season ticket qualification to transfer the season ticket to the season ticket owner who insulted the two Thomas Jr. fans.
Obviously this incident is over, and it is estimated that in the future, fans will not dare to talk trash to players casually, because then you may also be “banned for one year”, soft-ass league.