By now you’ve surely seen the video that’s gone viral of Kevin Durant confronting a fan in Dallas that called him a ‘bitch,’ turning around to yell at them…and Gio loves it.
“Now, I am not the biggest Kevin Durant fan in the world, but I love the fact that he called these two losers out,” Gio said. “It's not like you went over there and smacked them or whatever, and actually, later on in the game when they went to go throw them out, he said don't throw them out, I just want her to tell the truth that she said it, because she kept denying the fact that she said bitch when he came out.”
Jerry agreed, and both agree that fans are allowed to express their displeasure, but don’t do it like that.
“These people are animals, the absolute bottom feeding scum of sports fans,” Gio said. “And I was actually thinking about screening phone calls when this was going on too, because what that guy said to Kevin Durant is like what callers say to try to prove their worth to go on the air. Like, they'll tell some personal story of tragedy, and then say that they've got their own podcast, which is what he did. How about, ‘hey man, I'm sorry, that was stupid.
I’ve been drinking and I don't like you and I'm an idiot. How about that?”
“This is such a problem. I know they make a lot of money and they're professionals, I get all that, but the proximity to the court in the NBA is way too close, and I don't know why fans feel like they can just say whatever the hell they want,” Jerry said. “It's one thing to boo a guy, that's all well and good, even if you want to say you suck, okay fine – but some of this crosses the line.”
And, sadly, Jerry has to wonder if it’s going to take another “Malice at the Palace” to stop it.
“I wouldn't be surprised if we have it again at some point, where one of these guys just cold-cocks someone right in the face, because it is too much,” Jerry said. “And, it goes all the way down to the college level. Boomer always talks about when he goes to these college games, he's blown away by what you hear. It’s like we spend whatever on a ticket, and you feel like you've got this God-given right to just say whatever comes across your mind. I hate that Kevin Durant left, but I do like the guy as a player, and I think he's a pretty good guy, too, and I love the fact that he stopped, turned, and confronted them.”
“Yeah, and there have been examples years back where social media was not a thing, but I do think that the reason why fans feel more comfortable in saying stuff is that there we live in a world where you can tweet and comment on things whatever the hell you want, as nasty as humanly possible, and be completely anonymous and get away with it,” Gio replied. “There's no accountability and then they end up in a situation like this, where they get some alcohol in them and say it right to his face thinking he's not gonna do anything about it, and this time he did. Just admit the fact that you did it.”
And here’s the thing: the woman stuck out her hand like KD would shake it, an action Gio said ‘I would’ve spit on that hand’ – and if Durant did, this would be MUCH worse.
“What sucks is if he had he done something like that, he'd get ripped to shreds for it,” Jerry said. “We all have a limit and a point, and it’s too much sometimes.”