Video: Jazz Owner Gail Miller Addresses Russell Westbrook, Shane Keisel Incident
March 15, 2019
Utah Jazz owner Gail Miller spoke to Jazz fans before Thursday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, three days after an incident between a fan and Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook.
"I am extremely disappointed that one of our 'fans' conducted himself in such a way as to offend not only a guest in our arena but also me personally, my family, our organization, the community, our players and you as the best fans in the NBA," Miller said.
The Deseret News' Eric Woodyard shared a video of Westbrook interacting with the fan, who was later identified as Shane Keisel (warning: post contains profanity):
Westbrook discussed the situation with reporters after the game:
The Jazz announced Tuesday they had banned Keisel for life from any events at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City.
The NBA issued a $25,000 fine to Westbrook for using profanity and threatening Keisel. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the league also issued a memo to all 30 teams to produce a public service announcement emphasizing the "importance of respect and civility in NBA arenas."