Jusuf Nurkic got into a confrontation with an Indiana Pacers fan on Saturday night that resulted in the Portland Trail Blazers star being fined, and we now have a better idea of what led to the incident.
Nurkic was fined $40,000 on Tuesday for grabbing a Pacers fan’s cell phone and tossing it aside following Portland’s blowout loss in Indiana. The video of the altercation (see it here) did not show what happened that made Nurkic so angry. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the fan made derogatory comments about Nurkic’s family.
The fan allegedly shouted “your mom is trash” at Nurkic and called the star center’s grandmother a “b–ch.” Nurkic’s grandmother died from COVID-19 in 2020, which might explain why he reacted the way he did.
The fan who Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic confronted in Indiana allegedly shouted “your mom is trash” and said his “grandma’s a b**tch,” league sources tell @YahooSports. Nurkic’s grandma passed away of COVID-19 in 2020.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 22, 2022
It’s unclear if the fan knew Nurkic’s grandmother had died. Either way, the NBA felt the way the Blazers star reacted was not appropriate.
Pacers fans have been in the news a few times this year for interactions with players. LeBron James had some fans in Indiana ejected from a game a few months back.
Photo: Jan 9, 2018; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic (27) warms up prior to action against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
