Chris Paul’s mom, Robin, was “a little upset” while recalling her encounter with a fan during the Suns’ game at Dallas on Sunday to “Inside the NBA” co-host and family friend Kenny Smith. The fan allegedly harassed and got physical with her during the the Mavericks’ 111-101 win.
Tuesday night on TNT, Smith relayed what Robin Paul told him.
“She said, ‘Not Kenny. The guy was inebriated and he was trying to be funny by continually tapping me, saying Happy Mother’s Day.’ And she said, ‘thank you, but please don’t touch me,’ ” Smith said of the conversation he had with her. He also said Paul’s mother was “adamant” about her recollection of the scene.
“[The fan] continued to do that and in-between, he would scream out obscenities about the Suns. ‘F the Suns, F the Suns.’ And continually tap her. That’s when it escalated to that magnitude because I think then Jada, Chris’ wife, went up to try and tell the security and the bar not to serve him anymore because he was inebriated. So that’s when it kept escalating more and he kept cussing.”
The fan in question was removed by security during the game, as seen in videos that went viral on social media.
On Monday, the Mavericks said in a statement that “two unruly fans” had been banned from American Airlines Center until 2023 after attempting to give “unwanted hugs” to members of Paul’s family on the arena concourse.
In a previous statement, the Mavericks said the fan behavior “was unacceptable behavior and will not be tolerated.”
Paul became furious on the sideline when he found out a fan had allegedly harassed and got physical with his family during the game, which took place on Mother’s Day.
After the Game 4 loss, Paul tweeted“Wanna fine players for saying stuff to the fans but the fans can put they hands on our families… f–k that!!”
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