A video went viral on Monday night of Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook threatening a Utah Jazz fan. What the video didn't show were the disparaging comments the fan made to Westbrook before his outburst. After the incident, the fan was banned permanently from the Utah Jazz arena, while Westbrook was fined $25,000.
On Thursday night, Utah Jazz owner Gail Miller addressed the Utah crowd before their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the speech, Miller explained that the team has a zero tolerances policy when it comes to racism.
"I am extremely disappointed that one of our quote 'fans' conducted himself in such a way as to offend not only a guest in our arena but also me personally, my family, our organization, the community, our players and you, as the best fans in the NBA," Miller said. "This should never happen. We are not a racist community. We believe in treating people with courtesy and respect as human beings. From time to time, individual fans exhibit poor behavior and forget their manners and disrespect players on other teams. When that happens, I want you to jump up and shout 'stop.' We have a code of conduct in this arena. It will be strictly enforced."
The Jazz ended up winning the game 120-100. They have a record of 39-29 and are ranked sixth in the Western Conference.