A fan ran onto the court and jumped up and touched the backboard during game play at Capital One Arena in the Philadelphia 76ers vs. Washington Wizards playoff game on Monday night.
The fan was at the Wizards’ basket as they came down on offense before referees noticed the man and stopped the game with three minutes to play in the third quarter. The fan was quickly tackled by a security guard and pulled off the floor before being handcuffed by police.
The Wizards announced that charges are being pursued by local police and the fan will be banned from the arena.
Video footage showed the fan ran full speed down from the main grandstand past several rows of courtside seats and right onto the floor within a matter of seconds. He didn’t make contact with or come close to any player as he headed straight for the basket.
It is just another example of fan misbehavior over the past week. In Philadelphia, a fan threw popcorn at Russell Westbrook and was banned from the arena. In New York, a fan spit on Trae Young and was also banned. In Utah, fans who taunted the family of Ja Morant were banned. And in Boston, a fan was arrested after throwing a bottle of water at Kyrie Irving.