Back in March, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder were in Utah to take on the Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Thunder would beat the Jazz 98-89 sweeping the regular season series with the Jazz. Instead of celebrating the victory that evening all everyone could talk about is the altercation between Westbrook and a fan and his wife in the stand. Westbrook can be heard and seen in a Twitter video by Deseret News’ Eric Woodyard yelling explicit language to someone in the crowd.
“I’ll f*ck you up. You and your wife,” he said in the Twitter video.
Things get heated between Russell Westbrook and Utah Jazz fans again. “I’ll f*ck you up. You and your wife,” he says. Not sure what these fans said to him, but he also had issues with Jazz fans during the postseason. pic.twitter.com/LquwRmLVNy
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) March 12, 2019
After the game, Russell Westbrook’s teammate Patrick Patterson shared what the fan and his wife yelled at Westbrook.
“Get down on your knees like your use to”
Fans can say shit about a mans family, wife, & kids.. Tell a player “Get down on your knees like your use to.” As men, what do you expect us to do? Shut up & dribble? No one is held accountable for their actions except for us. Fans are protected in every way possible, but not us.
— Patrick Patterson (@pdpatt) March 12, 2019
On March 12, after a morning shootaround Spurs guard, DeMar DeRozan spoke the media and was asked his thoughts on the altercation between Westbrook and the fan in Utah.
.@DeMar_DeRozan shares his take on last night’s altercation involving @russwest44 and the fan in Utah #Thunderup #Spursnation #RussellWestbrook #Jazznation pic.twitter.com/QGxu8acF7x
— Landon Buford (@LandonBuford) March 12, 2019
“I really can’t speak on it too much, because I don’t know exactly what happened,” DeRozan told me.“Knowing Russ personally, there’s a good reason he went off the way he did. He just wouldn’t do it for nothing. But I don’t know exactly what was said.”
DeMar DeRozan was not the NBA player to speak on the incident with Westbrook and the Jazz fan. Jazz star Donovan Mitchell also shared his thoughts about the altercation.
“I am personally hurt by the incident at the game on March 11th,” Mitchell said. “As a black man living in a community I love, and playing on a team that gives me the opportunity to live out my dreams, this incident hits close to home.
“Racism and hate speech hurts us all, and this is not the first time something like this has happened in our arena,” he continued. “The Utah that I have come to love is welcoming and inclusive and last night’s incident is not indicative of our fan base. We don’t want to create a negative reputation for athletes who potentially may want to come to Utah.”
Hall of Famer Kevin McHale weighed in on the altercation as well earlier this season.
“I haven’t read that much I was traveling here last night. So, I know he got into a beef with the fans. I think they suspended the fan from Utah. You hate to see that happen and fans something gets out of control. Evidently, the Jazz that he violated enough protocol that they throw him out, which is good. You pay your money and you can yell and scream, but at a certain point, that gets crossed. It’s no good,” McHale told me.
The Jazz released a press release stating that they have banned the fan for life.
Shane Keisel is permanently banned from Jazz games. pic.twitter.com/JoVrgqR1WI
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) March 12, 2019
This is not the first time Westbrook has had issues with fans in Utah. Last year during the playoffs, Russell was called a “boy” before Game 4 of the first-round playoff series against the Jazz.
To Russell Westbrook’s defense, here is even further proof of his previous interactions with Utah Jazz fans. In this video, @russwest44 is called a “boy” by a Jazz fan ahead of Game 4 of OKC’s first-round playoff series against Utah on April 23, 2018 at Vivint Arena. pic.twitter.com/lc6slA7fTo
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) March 13, 2019
Enter former Jazz center Olden Polynice, who played for the Jazz for two seasons from 1999-2001. During those two seasons, Polynice averaged 5.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 0.45 assists, and 0.35 steals according to Basketball-Reference.com. Polynice was recently a guest on the Scoop B Radio Podcast with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson and they discussed numerous topics including the incident between Russell Westbrook and the banned Jazz fan.
“Typical! It was typical because I have seen it and I never liked it. That is why I tell people all the time unless I get a coaching job and then I have to go to Utah, but I have not stepped foot in Salt La
ke City since I left in 2002. And I refuse because there is blatant racism and there is overt racism it is all there. If you look in the stand there are only like ten black people in the stands outside of the players,“ said Polynice.
He would continue:
“ You could literally count the people in the stands. Me and Bryon Russell used to sit on the bench and say let’s count black people and make a game of it. To me, I was not surprised by it, I was more surprised by Gail Miller response because it was the first time someone stepped. So, I was pleasantly surprised by that, so to me, it really hurt, I got called the N-word in Salt Lake City. One time knocked the guy out and lucky for me, there were police officers nearby that heard him say it, so nothing came of it. They actually arrested him afterward it use to happen all the time back then and that was before Donald Trump. Not everything is about Donald Trump this stuff was happening before him. As for Russell Westbrook, I think he handled the situation pretty well outside of threatening the female.“
The Oklahoma City Thunder were eliminated in the first round by the Portland Trailblazers in five games.
About the Author
Landon Buford is an accomplished sports and entertainment journalist based in Richardson, Texas, with over a decade of experience covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, WWE, MLB, and the entertainment industry. Known for delivering high-impact stories and headline-making interviews, Buford has earned a global audience through content that blends insider access with compelling storytelling.
He previously served as director of editorial and brand communications at PlayersTV, where he helped shape the platform’s editorial voice and brand identity. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of LandonBuford.com—an independent outlet with more than 1.6 million views and syndication from major platforms including Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated and Yahoo Sports. Buford’s interviews with stars like Gary Payton, Kevin Durant, Mark Cuban and Chris Paul showcase his talent for meaningful, in-depth conversations.
His bylines have appeared in Sports Illustrated, Forbes, Heavy.com, Meta’s Bulletin and One37pm, where he has contributed exclusive interviews, breaking news and cultural insights. At Heavy.com, his work drew more than a million views in just eight months, and at One37pm, it contributed to record-breaking traffic numbers.
His work highlights the intersection of sports, fashion, music, and entrepreneurship—showcasing how athletes and entertainers use their platforms to inspire change, influence trends, and shape culture beyond the game. Landon has interviewed a wide range of figures from the NBA, NFL, and entertainment industries, consistently bringing authentic voices and untold stories to the forefront.
In addition to his journalism, Buford is an entrepreneur and content creator, dedicated to amplifying diverse narratives and driving meaningful conversations across media platforms. His passion for storytelling, culture, and innovation continues to make him a respected voice in the evolving landscape of sports and entertainment media.
