Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley says a heckling Dallas Mavericks fan twice told him, "F*ck your mother," before he threw the ball at the man, resulting in his ejection. Beverley, who had never been ejected from an NBA game until last night, said he had told the referee and security before taking matters into his own hands.
"I told the referee, I told the security," Beverley told reporters. "I mean, I've never gotten ejected out of a game since I've been in the NBA. You know, I play hard, I play within the lines, of course. I play within the rules, of course. I've never been ejected in my career in the NBA, but I'm a grown man. I have morals. Of course, God is first, family is second for me, and I stand firmly behind that.
"I just, I can accept the 'F--- you, Beverley,' the 'F--- you, Pat,' but out of the lines of my mother, anybody who knows me, man, knows I'm a family-first guy, and there's some things that are unacceptable. After I told the refs, I told security, the Dallas security, told both of them and again, he said it again. So if no one going to control fans, what are we supposed to do as players?"
The heckler in question is longtime Mavericks season ticket holder Don Knobler. According to ESPN, Knobler says he told Beverley, "You're a dirty player," after the Clippers guard elbowed Dennis Smith Jr. in the mouth while they scrambled for a loose ball. After Beverley responded, Knobler says he replied, "Your mother."
Beverley added to reporters, "Of course, I'm not praising me getting kicked out of a game. But I have morals, and I will stand for my morals, and family is important to me, and that's one of the morals I stand for."