76ers fans ejected after repeatedly calling Carmelo Anthony ‘boy’
“It's just certain things you don't bring to any type of sporting event,” Anthony said of the taunting.
Veteran NBA player Carmelo Anthony was repeatedly taunted during the fourth quarter of the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to Los Angeles Times sportswriter Dan Woike, two different groups of people were heckling Anthony and repeatedly called him “boy.”
In a clip of the incident, Anthony is seen charging toward the fans and referees, and security quickly intervened. The response was praised by on-air announcers as the fans were identified by Anthony and other fans nearby. At least two men were ejected from the arena following the incident.
In a press conference after the game, in which the Lakers lost by 18 points, Anthony expressed his disappointment with the fans.
“It is what it is,” Anthony said of the incident after the game. “Some things was said. Unacceptable. I’m cool with fans heckling, fans talking trash, cheering for their team, booing the other team. I’m all for that. But when you cross certain lines, as a man, that’s what you’re going to see. That’s what you’re going to get, as you saw.”
“It’s just certain things you don’t bring to any type of sporting event,” he continued. “Certain things you don’t say to anybody. If I was outside and I bumped into you and you said those things to me, then it would be a totally different story.”
Lakers coach Frank Vogel said that “unacceptable language and unacceptable behavior by fans is the simplest way to put it. There’s gotta be a higher standard and hopefully that’s handled the right way.”
The incident is the second major fan ejection to take place as fans taunted a Lakers player. In November, two fans in Indiana were ejected from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena after they shouted to LeBron James that they hoped his son, Bronny “dies in a car wreck.”
The NBA has a Fan Code of Conduct which is applicable to all league events. It notes, in part, that “Guests will enjoy the basketball experience free from disruptive behavior, including foul or abusive language and obscene gestures.”
According to the code, “Guests who choose not to adhere to this Code of Conduct will be subject to penalty including, but not limited to, ejection without refund, revocation of their season tickets, and/or prevention from attending future games.”
The Wells Fargo Center, where the incident against Anthony occurred, instituted a new zero-tolerance policy for racial or other identity-based slurs, abusive behavior, or inappropriate altercations at the arena.
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