Nets Fan Ejected from MSG, Gets Carried Out Without Prosthetic Leg

A Brooklyn Nets fan may be missing his prosthesis after being carried out of Madison Square Garden last night.

TheBrooklynGame.com's Devin Kharpertian (h/t Deadspin's Barry Petchesky) brings us news of the bizarre scene that occurred in the third quarter of Tuesday night's game between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. 

Knicks security personnel allege that Nets superfan Jeffrey Gamblero—a 38-year-old amputee and mainstay among the Brooklyn faithful—became heated and used his prosthetic leg to hit another fan. 

The ordeal ended in Gamblero being carried screaming from the arena, sans prosthesis, by event security. (Warning: Video content may be disturbing to some viewers.)

New York-based comedian Jesse Eigner captured video of the incident and uploaded it to Instagram.

Petchesky reports that a Madison Square Garden spokesperson called Gamblero "unruly" in an official statement and said he would never be welcomed back to the stadium.

"An unruly fan was ejected after MSG Security received multiple complaints from fans sitting in that area," said the spokesperson. "The fan was warned multiple times before being removed. He will not be permitted back into Madison Square Garden."

Fans appeared to boo Gamblero's removal, and many have since disputed the version of events detailed by MSG officials. 

Kharpertian published an account from a fan named "Max," who says he was sitting behind Gamblero when things turned ugly. Max claims that Gamblero never attacked anyone; he was merely too excited for the security detail's liking. 

"

[Gamblero] was being his usual self, absolutely no cursing, no negative cheering, just dancing and loud cheering for the Nets. Never attacked a Knicks fan, never got out of hand.

After halftime a guard came up and told him to 'cool down and just be a fan.' Obviously [the guard] didn't know who [Gamblero] was. [Gamblero] said 'What did I do wrong? Should I be quiet?' They said 'No, just cool it down.' He started loudly cheering for the Knicks doing 'Go New York go, New York go,' etc. The guards came back and told him to stop. He said 'Why? Is this a library?'

Then the main guard on the floor gave the signal to kick him out. He would not leave. A guard then touched his leg and he said 'Ouch, you're hurting me. I have a prosthetic leg.' He then took off the leg, which is when things escalated.

More and more guards surrounded him as he watched the game with his leg resting on his shoulder. They tried to get him to put his leg on, threatened to arrest him…but he wasn't moving.

He started saying 'Why are you doing this? I just love basketball so much.' He was clearly overwhelmed.

After about 10 minutes, four guards grabbed him and carried him out as he screamed in pain. I am a lifelong Nets fan but regardless, this was one of the cruelest and most upsetting things I have ever seen.

"

Other observers say the incident wasn't based on a fan-on-fan altercation but rather security getting upset at Gamblero dancing in the aisle.

It becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile security's account after hearing these versions of events. 

Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News reports that an anonymous MSG staffer claimed Gamblero's removal was necessary to avoid chaos.

"[Security] grabbed Gamblero and pulled him out," the staffer told Abramson. "I don't know if he was arrested but they got him out of there so he didn't start a riot."

Indeed, all of those money-paying rabble rousers, yelling and carrying on while professionals are playing to place leather balls in metal rings. What gives them the right?

Nets players say even they noticed Gamblero's unceremonious removal.

"I know he's a big fan," Nets forward Alan Anderson told Abramson. "I just looked up and saw what happened, that he was carried out. I don't know what caused it. I know he's a big fan for us."

Stay strong, Jeff. And everyone keep an eye out for a prosthesis with a neon shoe. MSG security carried Gamblero out like a bag of dry wall. Why should they bother to grab the one thing he needs most?

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