On Wednesday night in the Thunder's season opener against the Sixers, one disgruntled fan got out of his courtside seat to put two middle fingers right in Russell Westbrook's face. I'm sure you've seen the footage but if you haven't you can check it out right here.
Today, new details about the fan have surfaced, including the fact that he says he was "provoked" by Westbrook. According to Philly.com, the bird-flipping bandit is Richard Harkaway, a urologist in Philadelphia who also claims to be a comedian.
In a statement released to the site, Harkaway said:
“As a part-time comedian I realize that my words and actions are sometimes inappropriate. In this instance, after standing up to boo and being provoked by Russell Westbrook calling attention to my being overweight, my action in response was clearly inexcusable and I am embarrassed. I sincerely apologize to my fellow Sixers fans, the Sixers organization, my colleagues and patients, and to Mr. Westbrook for my behavior.”
Westbrook did show some emotion after being fouled and converting on the layup, but you can't really make out what he's saying as he stares into the crowd.
Call me crazy but I find it hard to believe Westbrook had enough time to pick out a fan and make a joke about his weight in the 1/2 a second he was looking into the stands. Check out some of the footage below as well as Russell's response (or lack thereof) after the incident took place.
https://twitter.com/_/status/791436021229584384
https://twitter.com/_/status/791495050844921856
