Russell Westbrook confrontation with fan prompts changes at Suns' Footprint Center

Kevin Skiver

Russell Westbrook confrontation with fan prompts changes at Suns' Footprint Center image

The Suns and Clippers unsurprisingly kicked off their playoff series with some drama, when Russell Westbrook got into a confrontation with a fan at the Footprint Center in Phoenix during LA's Game 1 win.

Westbrook repeatedly told the fan "watch your mouth" with security breaking the two up. The fan told Westbrook "take it like a man" before Westbrook was eventually escorted from the situation.

The altercation reportedly escalated when the fan called the Clippers guard "Westbrick," a nickname he has repeatedly tried to distance himself from and talked about at length with regards to his family.

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As a result of the altercation, the Footprint Center has changed the way visiting teams enter the floor. The Club Gila Lounge was used as a shortcut from the visitors' locker room to get to the court. However, the Suns have now cordoned off the lounge, meaning the players will walk a greater distance to get to the floor.

The Suns released a statement regarding the incident, saying they were reviewing it. "We are aware of the incident that happened tonight and are conducting a review."

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Westbrook, who played for the Lakers to start the year and eventually joined the Clippers after a buyout from the Jazz, has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence with his Crypto.com Arena mates. 

Although isn't the triple-double machine he once was, Westbrook has been significantly more efficient with the Clippers, and he was part of a late-season push that helped get the team to the No. 5 seed. He has had multiple interactions with fans in the past, specifically over the nickname "Westbrick."

Westbrook and the Clippers will host the Suns at Crypto.com Arena in Game 3 of the best-of-seven Thursday with the series tied 1-1.

Kevin Skiver

Kevin Skiver Photo

Kevin Skiver has been a content producer at Sporting News since 2021. He previously worked at CBS Sports as a trending topics writer, and now writes various pieces on MLB, the NFL, the NBA, and college sports. He enjoys hiking and eating, not necessarily in that order.