A Miami Heat fan was ejected from the team's recent game against the Clippers after appearing to call Russell Westbrook "boy". While footage of the full interaction has not appeared online, a clip film immediately before the fan was asked to leave has. It shows the man shouting "I paid for these seats, boy" at Westbrook. However, due to the abridged nature of the publicly posted clips, it is currently unclear what started the argument between the fan and Westbrook.
"Boy", especially when used by a white individual towards a Black man, is considered to be a racial slur. It harkens back to the days of the Jim Crow South and is considered both demeaningly and highly offensive. The NBA, Heat, and Clippers are all yet to address the incident publicly. This is a developing story and we'll have any updates as and when they emerge.
How Is Russell Westbrook Playing This Season?
Westbrook has appeared in 50 games this season, but has started just 10 of them. Despite this, he is averaging 22.8 minutes a game along with a 11.3/5.5/4.7 stat line. This is Westbrook's first full season with the Clippers. He joined them in a deadline trade last year which moved him across LA from the Lakers. The Clippers are currently fourth in the West with a 34-16 record.
However, their current success is a major turnaround from the team that started 3-7 and was 10-10 after 20 games. At one point early in the season, Westbrook asked the Clippers coaching staff to transition him to a bench role amid the team's six-game losing streak. According to sources who spoke with Bleacher Report, Westbrook requested the move in an attempt to allow the first team unit to develop more cohesion. It allowed Terance Mann to play a more impactful cleanup role alongside James Harden, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard. As a result, Westbrook brought a bigger veteran leadership role to the second unit. This helped open the floor up more while Harden and Leonard weren't there.
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