Several Dallas Mavericks fans exchanged profanities at Kevin Durant as he took to the floor at American Airlines Center in Dallas before the Phoenix Suns lost 123-113 on Thursday.
of video (Explicit language warning) Durant is shown jogging onto the court to warm up when he suddenly changes course and confronts two Mavericks fans who yell obscenities at the team. ing.
a second video shows the same fan being encountered again after more security guards gathered nearby.
Durant discussed the matter with azcentral's Duane Rankin after the game.
“I feel like sometimes they don't see us as humans. So if we have the opportunity to tell the other person how we feel right away, the other person will retract their attitude. You see, we're animals. He's a circus performer, he's an entertainer, not a real human being to them,” Durant said.
The confrontation appeared to come to a head when Durant told the woman he was arguing with, “You're an adult,” and walked away.
Durant also said he returned after the game to speak with security to prevent fans from being kicked out.
Durant finished the game with 23 points on 9 of 22 shots in 40 minutes.
American Airlines Center has seen its fair share of incidents between fans and players in recent seasons.
Luka Doncic ejected a Suns fan earlier this year after saying he needed to use a treadmill during a game.
During Game 4 of the 2022 Western Conference semifinals between the Suns and Mavericks, a Dallas fan was removed from the stadium after reportedly placing his hands on Chris Paul's family.
