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Celtics Release Statement on Banned Fan Who Directed N-Word at DeMarcus Cousins
March 29, 2019
The Boston Celtics released a statement regarding the two-year ban they gave a fan who called Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins a racial slur, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Boston:
The incident occurred on Jan. 26, when the Warriors traveled to face the Boston Celtics. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported more details on the situation:
"During that game, there was a fan who muttered the N-word at DeMarcus Cousins," Haynes said. "I was told DeMarcus informed one of the team security guys and they got a hold of the security team there at TD Garden. They took care of the fan, but I was told that ultimately that fan was banned for the rest of this season and next year."
Cousins also told Haynes that fans have called him racial slurs on a number of occasions in the past during the Posted Up podcast:
"Oh, I've been called n----r. And it's crazy because this has happened to me on a few occasions. I reported it to the league, and, you know, I may have said whatever I said back and I was still punished for it. But obviously it became a bigger issue when it was Russ [Westbrook], and he was still fined for it. I don't really understand it. We're the product. We push this league, so I don't understand. When does our safety, when does it become important?"
Cousins referenced a fan using racist language to Westbrook earlier in March. That fan was ultimately hit with a permanent ban from the Jazz.
He also didn't specify which cities he heard racial abuse in during games, though Haynes reported Sacramento was one. Boston was another, as poor fan behavior in the intimate setting of NBA games continues to be an issue for the league.