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

2023-04-20
3 min read
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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.