Courtside fans launch ugly confrontation at 36ers: Watch the video

Video: See the ugly scenes after a courtside fan confrontation toward 36ers players and staff turned into a chaotic brawl. Now the coaches have weighed in as the NBL investigates.

Adelaide and Melbourne coaches Mike Wells and Dean Vickerman have condemned the “mayhem” that broke loose after an ugly confrontation between courtside fans and 36ers’ players including ex-NBA star Montrezl Harrell and staff.

Both Wells and Vickerman said the fans “crossed the line” when they hurled abuse at 36ers players and “put hands on” the club’s basketball boss Matt Weston and stars Kendric Davis and Dejan Vasiljevic early in the fourth quarter of United’s 103-93 win at John Cain Arena.

“All mayhem is breaking loose on the sidelines ... The fans were screaming at our players and being really, really aggressive,” Wells, who has decades of experience as an assistant coach in the NBA, said.

“Been in the NBA a long time, I’ve seen a lot of different fights, but when people that are right in the front row, they cannot do that.

Courtside fans started a fight at the Adelaide 36ers interchange. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

“They can pay their money, they can cheer, they can yell at us but as soon as they start putting hands on people, now it’s a different game, and from what I saw, they put hands on our GM.”

Four fans were removed in the wake of the blow-up, which multiple sources told Code Sports began with the baiting of Harrell after his tangle with United big man Rob Loe resulted in an on-court fracas involving several players and staff. Harrell and United’s Shea Ili were ejected from the game but, when the former NBA man returned to his bench while the referees reviewed the play, tensions exploded.

A source close to the ugly incident told Code Sports: “Trez said he (the fan) started saying personal things. He said back you can talk basketball but don’t get personal. Then the guy shoved KD (Kendric Davis) and it kicked off”

“Trez got up and they were swearing at him. He was incited, ‘That’s why you’re not in the NBA, you’ve got a f***ing s*** attitude’,” another source told Code Sports.

“The guy’s coming back from an ACL, that’s why he’s not in the NBA, he’s played eight years and he was a Sixth Man of the Year.

“Come on mate, you’re just a bloke sitting in the front row.”

But I’m the bad guy right I literally try calm down but then mf want try the tuff 💩💩 so now I’m riding for my team sorry not sorry 🤷🏿‍♂️🤷🏿‍♂️🤷🏿‍♂️ https://t.co/KNWdyekzQM

— ÙŽ (@monstatrezz) November 17, 2024

Spectators should sit down and shut up and clap that’s about it trezz I’m with you

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) November 17, 2024

Late Sunday, The NBL confirmed it was investigating both incidents.

The Affray at JCA sparked comparisons to the NBA’s infamous 2004 ‘Malice at the Palace’ where an on-court stoush between Detroit and Indiana players spilled into the stands, sparking fights between players and fans and resulting in assault charges, the suspension of nine players and life bans for fans.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source close to the bench as the nastiness unfolded in front of young children called it a “disgrace”.

“When you sit front row, it’s a privilege, but there’s also a responsibility with it as well, you can’t go over the line,” the source said.

“They went way over the line.

“You are teasing someone who is juiced up on adrenaline. You’ve got to be very careful.

“We don’t need this. We had young kids sitting right there. We don’t want that. I thought ‘bloody hell, show some responsibility as an adult’.

“One of the little kids was crying in their dad’s lap and I just thought, ‘this is not us, this is not basketball’, you don’t do that, it’s disgraceful.”

Vickerman said the crossover between players and fans of that nature was “something you never want to see.”

Originally published as Courtside fans launch ugly confrontation at 36ers: Watch the video