Two fans who were part of a confrontation with Washington Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas during Saturday’s game in Philadelphia have been banned from the Wells Fargo Center for a year, a 76ers spokesperson told multiple outlets.
Thomas was ejected from the 76ers’ 125-108 win in the fourth quarter after he went into the stands to verbally confront one of the fans during a timeout.
Thomas said he was running back after making one of two free throws and that a fan had “both of his middle fingers up and said, ‘F— you, b—-,’ three times.”
“I said: ‘Don’t be disrespectful. I’m a man before anything. Be a fan.’ His response was, ‘I’m sorry, I just wanted a Frosty,'” Thomas said, adding that he believes the fan’s behavior stemmed from a 76ers promotion for which fans are awarded a frozen dessert if an opposing player misses two free throws in the second half.
A 76ers spokesperson told The Athletic that the fans acknowledged using inappropriate gestures and language toward players last night, which is a violation of arena policy.
The season-ticket holder for the seats has had them revoked and will receive a refund for the remaining games, a spokesperson told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In October, the NBA instituted a zero-tolerance policy for abusive or hateful behavior by fans. The new policy followed high-profile incidents involving Russell Westbrook, DeMarcus Cousins, Kyle Lowry and others during the 2018-19 season.