Auburn basketball star awkwardly meets his idol, Morgan Freeman
Johni Broome brushed a fan's arm away, and it turned out to be Freeman, the Academy Award-winning actor
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Auburn’s Johni Broome met one of his favorite movie stars — and apologized to Morgan Freeman for how it happened.
Broome, who scored 15 points in the 16th-ranked Tigers’ 91-77 victory over Mississippi on Saturday night, tried to save a ball from going out of bounds in the second half when someone in the front row grabbed his jersey.
![](https://thegrio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/AP24035065822730.jpg?w=1024)
Thinking it was an Ole Miss fan trying to rattle him, Broome brushed the person’s arm away.
It turned out it was Freeman, the Academy Award-winning actor who is a big Mississippi fan and attends many Rebels games.
“I kind of got his hand off,” Broome told reporters. “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.’”
Recommended Stories
Broome, calling a personal foul on himself, went back over to Freeman during the game.
“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.”
Broome and his Auburn teammates erased a 13-point deficit in the first half with a dominating second half to power past Freeman’s favorite team. The Tigers improved to 18-4 overall and 7-2 in the Southeastern Conference, while the Rebels dropped to 18-4 and 5-4 in league play.
Never miss a beat: Get our daily stories straight to your inbox with theGrio’s newsletter.
More About:Sports