It’s a little surprising that fans are still turning up for Sacramento Kings games. The team has had the NBA’s worst cumulative record since 2010 and hasn’t made it past the first round of the playoffs since 2004. But Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers produced an unexpected moment courtside—and a fan was escorted out early.
After Kings guard Malik Monk drove into traffic, the ball went out of bounds and bounced toward a fan seated near the baseline. The fan sent it back with a forceful two-handed chest pass. The referee appeared to feel the throw was too aggressive and signaled that the fan should be removed.
Luka Doncic was waiting for the official to return the ball. He looked surprised by the pass and challenged the fan, asking what he was doing.
The ball did come in pretty hard. Still, it was a chest pass, not a one-handed throw, and it’s difficult to tell whether the fan meant to be aggressive or simply put too much force behind it. Maybe they were just trying to get the ball back quickly.
Doncic seemed to think the ejection was justified. I’m not entirely sure. The fan’s intentions are hard to read, though I can understand how a referee might take a fast, forceful pass the wrong way.
Was the ejection fair, or did the officials overreact?
