Knicks Fan Who Spit On Hawks' Trae Young Banned From Garden 'Indefinitely'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The New York Knicks announced Thursday afternoon that the organization conducted an investigation into the video of a fan appearing to spit on Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young during Wednesday night's Game 2. The team said in a statement that it determined the fan did spit on Young and that he is now banned from Madison Square Garden.
"We investigated the matter and determined that this patron, who is not a season ticket holder, did indeed spit on Trae Young, and for that reason, he is now banned from the Garden indefinitely. We apologize to Trae and the entire Atlanta Hawks organization for this fan's behavior. This was completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our venue. We have turned the information over to the appropriate authorities," the Knicks said.
The team's statement came after the NBA addressed fan behavior in the arenas, stating an "enhanced" fan code of conduct will be strictly enforced going forward.
"The return of more NBA fans to our arenas has brought great excitement and energy to the start of the playoffs, but it is critical that we all show respect for players, officials and our fellow fans. An enhanced fan code of conduct will be vigorously enforced in order to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all involved," the league said.
Young, for his part, responded to the incident by saying on Twitter it was "crazy" and then telling the fan to "keep his mask on" with the hashtag #thatsjustchildish.
The incident in New York came on the same night that a fan in Philadelphia poured popcorn on the head of Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook as he was leaving the game against the 76ers with an injury.
The Knicks and Hawks meet in Atlanta for Game 3 of the series on Friday night.
