PHILADELPHIA -- A 76ers fan wearing an Allen Iverson jersey was escorted out of Wells Fargo Center midway through the first quarter after flashing double middle fingers at Thunder star Russell Westbrook following an and-1 during Wednesday's season opener for both teams.
"Uh yeah, I know, that's crazy, right?" Westbrook said. "I turned a new leaf, though. I leave that alone, because that cost me $25,000 last time. The fan, he'll be all right. They can say whatever they want to the players and do what they want, but my job is to play basketball, and that's what I do."
Westbrook finished a layup plus the foul with 4:52 remaining in the first quarter and looked out at the crowd on the baseline and let out a yell with a flex.
The fan, sitting in the second row of the baseline, stood up and put his middle fingers directly toward Westbrook's face and said, "F--- you!" Westbrook looked at the nearby referee with a confused look and said, "Can he do that?"
While at the line taking his free throw, other Sixers fans also chanted, "KD left you!"
Thunder center Steven Adams stepped over to Westbrook, saying something to the fan and helping pull Westbrook away from the situation.
"I didn't say much, bro. You just don't do that," Adams said. "It's just a respect thing, mate. We're playing. You can't just come in there real hard and think you're tough because we can't touch you. You don't do any of that stuff. I didn't want [Westbrook] to get out of his game, so I just told him to calm down."
Asked how he felt Westbrook handled it, Adams was impressed.
"Obviously, well done," he said. "He didn't punch anyone."
Westbrook scored 32 points and posted 12 rebounds and nine assists in the Thunder's 103-97 win.