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Jazz issue lifetime ban to fan who called Westbrook ‘boy’ in 2018

Posted at 11:39 AM, Mar 15, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-15 13:50:30-04

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz have issued another lifetime ban over an incident involving Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook – this time for an incident that occurred last year, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

This is the second lifetime ban issued by the Utah Jazz organization this week. The other one was issued after a fan, whom the Tribune identified as Shane Keisel, allegedly made a disrespectful and racial comment directed at Westbrook on Monday night.

“In the wake of the Keisel incident, another troubling video surfaced this week, in which a Jazz fan, before Game 4 of the team’s 2018 first-round playoff series against the Thunder, can be repeatedly heard calling Westbrook ‘boy.’ Sources confirmed to The Salt Lake Tribune on Friday that the Jazz subsequently investigated the incident and issued a lifetime ban to that unnamed fan as well,” the Tribune’s report said.

On Thursday, Utah Jazz owner Gail Miller read a pre-game statement at the Jazz-Timberwolves game in which she decried disrespectful behavior and urged fans to use their energy for “cheering our team with your honest, sincere enthusiasm rather than degrading or demeaning players on the opposing team.”