Mark Madden: Behavior of select NBA fans is deplorable

Fans are trickling back into the stands at American sporting events, and it’s not all good.

That applies particularly at NBA games.

Ja Morant’s parents were bombarded with racist language when Morant’s Memphis team played at Utah. Washington’s Russell Westbrook had popcorn dumped on him at Philadelphia. Atlanta’s Trae Young was spat upon at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving was nearly brained with a plastic water bottle at Boston.

All these events are absolutely 100% deplorable.

They were enabled by the regrettable attitude that permeates society: If you don’t get your way, storm the Bastille. (Or the Capitol. That stupidity triggered more stupidity.)

What happened at Boston on Sunday could do something difficult.

It might turn Irving into a sympathetic figure.

Or, it might not.

To emphasize: No athlete should ever have anything thrown at him.

But Irving is an ex-Celtic. In 2018, he promised to re-sign with the team in free agency, then went to Brooklyn. Irving’s father said Boston fans “have the right to” be upset.

Irving appeared to wipe his sneakers on the Celtics logo at center court after the Nets won Sunday at TD Garden.

Before the NBA went into its Orlando bubble to finish last season, Irving tried to lead a player revolt against that, even though he was hurt and unable to play.

Irving previously labeled sports as “ignorant and obtrusive.”

Two weeks ago, Irving said, “Basketball’s just not the most important thing to me right now.”

He has called the media “pawns,” which wins him no PR favors.

Irving has haphazardly missed games, citing his greater societal concerns.

He also sat two games for violating NBA covid protocol by not wearing a mask at a family birthday party.

Irving has noble ideas. But his words and deeds are all over the place.

He diminishes the game he plays, yet shows up to collect his $33.3 million yearly paycheck. (But Irving has donated millions to worthy causes.)

If you play the heel, people are going to boo and heckle. (Believe me. I know.)

But it should stop there. Any verbiage should not be racist or overly abusive. Nothing should be thrown under any circumstances.

The boob who threw the water bottle at Irving is being charged with assault and battery using a dangerous weapon.

It was a plastic Dasani water bottle, not a hand grenade.

But I got no problem. Press charges. Just administer the same harsh, unsparing justice in instances that don’t involve a multimillionaire experiencing an unpleasant moment.

Toss the fan out. Ban him from TD Garden for life. Does he need to do hard time?

This should not have happened. (Cancel culture forces me to reiterate that again and again. But I do mean it. No sarcasm font.)

I am sickened by the very thought. (As long as I’m at it, why not overdo it?)

The pandemic just ended. Don’t these fans know they’re lucky to be attending games? (If you’d like to attend Game 6 — if necessary — of the Celtics-Nets series, a ticket seven rows from the court at TD Garden costs $614.50. That doesn’t give anyone the right to launch projectiles.)

You can throw a baseball at somebody’s head, right? You just have to be playing the game.