The Dallas Mavericks have taken action against a fan who got into a verbal exchange with Los Angeles Clipper veteran guard Patrick Beverley during a game in December, which resulted in Beverley being ejected for throwing a basketball into the stands, at the fan, in retaliation.
The Mavs have banned Dan Knobler, a self-described Dallas Mavericks superfan, who was seated courtside just behind the Mavericks basket during fourth quarter action during Dallas’ December 3rd game against the Clippers.
Following the game, Beverley accused Knobler of shouting “fuck your mother” at him, and while Knobler did admit to heckling the Clippers guard, he did not mention the lewd language.
Beverley stated that he spoke to arena security, along with NBA referees officiating the game, about the behavior and conduct of Knobler, but when they refused to take action to address the fan and defuse the situation, Beverley determined that he had to take action himself.
“I told the referee, I told the security,” Beverley said after the game (h/t ESPN). “I mean, I’ve never gotten ejected out of a game since I’ve been in the NBA. You know, I play hard, I play within the lines, of course. I play within the rules, of course. I’ve never been ejected in my career in the NBA, but I’m a grown man. I have morals. Of course, God is first, family is second for me, and I stand firmly behind that.
“I just, I can accept the ‘Fuck you, Beverley,’ the ‘Fuck you, Pat,’ but out of the lines of my mother, anybody who knows me, man, knows I’m a family-first guy, and there’s some things that are unacceptable” Beverley said to the media following the game.
“After I told the refs, I told security, the Dallas security, told both of them and again, he said it again. So if no one is going to control fans, what are we supposed to do as players?”
Knobler has not attended a Mavericks game since the December 3rd game, and hjas been banned from the arena for the remainder of the season after an investigation by the organization confirmed Beverley’s account of their interaction.
Fans in attendance also complained of Knobler’s behavior and with Dallas getting more national spotlight due to the breakout season of rookie Luca Doncic, it’s good to make the decision to ensure incidents such as these do not occur again, especially as betters who consistently are gambling on sports are starting to take notice of the MAvs’ rise in the Western Conference this season.
Beverley won’t have to encounter the unruly fan again this season, but it shows that even fans can cross the line and more action needs to be taken if a player is complaining about one crossing a line.