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Myron Medcalf, ESPN Staff Writer
Auburn star Johni Broome felt someone grab his jersey as he tried to save a ball from going out of bounds during the Tigers’ 91-77 win at Ole Miss on Saturday night. His natural reaction was to slap at the person’s arm, assuming it was an Ole Miss fan trying to harass him.
But the person who grabbed his jersey wasn’t an ordinary fan — it was Morgan Freeman, the Academy Award-winning actor who was sitting in the front row.
After the game, Broome — who finished with 15 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks in the win — said he apologized to Freeman, adding that he’s a big fan of him.
“I thought it was an Ole Miss fan grabbing my jersey, holding on to me,” Broome told reporters after the game. “I kind of got his hand off. I saw who it was, and I’m a big movie guy. I probably watched one of his movies on the plane coming here. But I realized it was him and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m a big fan. I’m sorry.’ He said, ‘Just keep playing.'”
Broome helped Auburn push its record to 7-2 in the SEC, good for second place. An upcoming stretch in which the Tigers will face Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee in February will determine their place in the SEC race.
Freeman, 86, is an Ole Miss superfan who has attended multiple games over the years. He grew up in Charleston, Mississippi, about an hour from the Ole Miss campus.
Broome said he was so embarrassed about his exchange with “The Shawshank Redemption” star that he had to apologize to him a second time.
“I came back out there again, and I’m just like, ‘I’m sorry, again,'” Broome said. “He said, ‘You all good. Just keep playing.’ He’s a very good guy. Love him.”