A tense moment led to a fan being ejected from Sacramento's Golden One Center. During the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers early-season matchup.
Amid the matchup between the Western Conference rivals, the ball went into the baseline seats. During the dead ball, a fan noticed the ball rolling out of bounds and got out of his seat to retrieve it. Once he had the ball in his hands, he
Lakers star Luka Doncic appeared to take exception to the fan's actions toward the referee. And promptly let him know about it. The fans' actions were met with an ejection. A convoy of security guards entered the arena bowl shortly after. And despite the man's pleas, he was escorted out of the arena.
Luka addressed the interaction with the media after the Lakers' 116-103 victory over the Kings.
"He just tossed it really strong -- the ball -- toward the ref. I just asked him what the hell he's doing,"
The viral moment led to a bevy of reactions from fans on social media.
"He's pissed because the fan can pass the ball better than he can," one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Dude fired it at her. Let's be real. Lakers protect women as real men should. I love it," a second user chimed in.
"Imagine paying 10k+ for a courtside ticket and getting tossed for helping the ref not have to take extra steps to recover the ball," a third user reacted.
When in attendance at NBA games, all fans are expected to adhere to the NBA's Fan Code of Conduct. Per the Code of Conduct, "Guests who engage in fighting, throwing objects, or attempting to enter the court will be immediately ejected from the arena."
The code also notes that guests could also be hit with additional penalties, including "revocation of their season tickets, and/or prevention from attending future games."
"Guests who choose not to adhere to this Code of Conduct will be subject to penalties. Including, but not limited to, ejection without refund, revocation of their season tickets, and/or prevention from attending future games. They may also be in violation of local ordinances, resulting in possible arrest and prosecution," the Code of Conduct reads.
