Ja Morant’s family was the subject of disrespect by Utah Jazz’s fans in Game 2 of their first-round playoffs series. Unfortunately, this has become common in the NBA since the beginning of the playoffs, with fans taking things too far to ‘help’ their teams win games.
The Jazz announced they had banned three fans indefinitely from the Vivint Arena after they starred in an altercation with Ja’s family. Tee Morant, Ja’s father, admitted that his family knows heckling, and they know it’s inevitable to have rival fans trying to get under your skin, but some people didn’t know where to draw the line and took things to the next level.
Talking with ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Tee revealed that some fans blatantly disrespected him and his wife, using racists remarks towards them.
“I know heckling,” Tee Morant said in a phone interview with ESPN. “We were doing that the whole game. But that’s different than heckling. That’s straight up disrespectful. That was too far out of line. You don’t say nothing like that heckling. That’s beyond heckling.
“Tee Morant said one fan made a sexually explicit remark to his wife, Jamie. Tee Morant, who was sitting a couple of seats over, confronted the man before security deescalated the situation, ejecting the Jazz fan.
According to Tee Morant, another Jazz fan told him, “I’ll put a nickel in your back and watch you dance, boy.” Several other Jazz fans, who had been enjoying good-spirited trash talk with the Morants and their family friends, confronted that fan and alerted security. Tee Morant said he was shocked that the Jazz fan, who was ejected, made such a comment with the man’s young daughter by his side.
Ja reacted to this situation, posting a big message on Twitter, claiming his family should be able to cheer him up without anybody telling them these types of things.
as they should . my family should be able cheer for me & my teammates without getting inappropriate shit said to them 💯 https://t.co/CWiJIpkq03
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) May 28, 2021
my family told me they felt the love from all the other jazz fans who were around them 🤝 even bought each other drinks with a few.
those 3 just went too far 💯 https://t.co/1XvjXcPVOo
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) May 28, 2021
Jazz’s star Donovan Mitchell condemned these actions, saying these fans shouldn’t be allowed in the arena again.
I’m glad those fans were banned and they should never be allowed back…. this is ridiculous!!! The fact that these words are being thrown around to players and there families is ridiculous! Enough is enough smh! https://t.co/rfzj0T1W1r
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) May 28, 2021
Dwyane Wade, who recently became part-owner of the Jazz, also apologized to Ja and said that you’re part of the problem if you don’t speak or act against these actions.
If we turn our backs on this kind of behavior we’re all apart of the problem. This will not be tolerated! Apologies once again to Ja and his family 🙏🏾🖤 https://t.co/uG9QSS5ZIF
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) May 28, 2021
The Jazz fans have earned a bad reputation around the league, with former players and coaches accusing them of using racist slurs. This must change and not only here. NBA fans need to behave.
Trae Young, Russell Westbrook, and now Ja have been victims of people who don’t know how to in an arena and believe they are doing the right thing harassing people like this.
The league has shared some guidelines that fans should follow from now on. The New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz have banned fans from their arenas and if this doesn’t stop, more franchises will do the same.
