Wizards star Bradley Beal was able to lead his team to a win on Monday, avoiding a 4-game sweep at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers.
But it didn’t come without some controversy.
During the game, a fan decided to storm the court and touch the rim, prompting a stoppage of play and an arrest of the person involved by law enforcement. It marked the fourth incident in just a few weeks that the fans have been caught acting inappropriately on the court.
After the game was over, Bradley Beal issued a warning to the fans himself…
"I know no fan would try me individually. … These hands work."
– Bradley Beal
(h/t @Hoop_District ) pic.twitter.com/DAqQF2oQWi
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 1, 2021
🚨🚨MUST SEE🚨🚨#Wizards Bradley Beal on why he doesn't feel less safe when fans rush court!!! @wusa9 #DCAboveAll
"These hands work"
👊👊🥊🥊💪💪
FULL STORY: https://t.co/h9Kr14h85s pic.twitter.com/eg1xWmiwe1
— Darren M. Haynes (@DarrenMHaynes) June 1, 2021
This postseason, fans have taken to extreme measures to express their feelings. Popcorn, spot, and a water bottle have been thrown towards NBA players recently, leading to more fan controversies than we’ve seen in a long time.
Whether due to the excitement of being back from COVID-19 restrictions or not, it’s unacceptable behavior that seems to be becoming more common.
The NBA has to get in front of this, and we can expect some adjustments from them in the near future.
For now, though, let’s remember that these players are people, and if you push them far enough, they will fight back. Bradley Beal has made that abundantly clear.
