Wizards assistant coach jumps into stands to confront fan during blowout loss to Heat
Washington Wizards assistant coach Mike Batiste had to be restrained by players after he jumped into the stands to confront a fan near the end of Monday night's blowout loss to the Miami Heat.
With 13 seconds left in the game, Batiste suddenly stood up and lunged toward the stands directly behind Washington's bench. In a video posted on Twitter by NBC Sports Washington, you can see Batiste make his move in the upper left corner of the frame.
The incident with a fan and the Wizards bench in which Harrell had to intervene: pic.twitter.com/IiNXUp7Z8x
— NBC Sports Wizards (@NBCSWizards) February 8, 2022
Wizards players Montrezl Harrell and Thomas Bryant immediately intervened, holding Batiste back and preventing him from making physical contact with any fans. Harrell then walked Batiste down the tunnel and back toward the locker room.
Batiste hasn't commented on the incident, but head coach Wes Unseld Jr. told the media after the game that he believed it was in response to a fan taking their heckling too far.
"I was kind of at the scorers' table, so I turned around after I think it kind of began," Unseld said via NBC Sports Washington. "To my understanding, a fan or several fans said something that was out of line. Obviously, we have to take the high road and just can't indulge in that. I think it was a situation where something was said that was a bit over the line and I think it got the best of one of our coaches. Either way, you have to take the high road."
Things aren't great for the Wizards right now. Their 121-100 blowout to the Heat was their eighth loss in the last nine games. They're 6-12 since the start of 2022, a precipitous fall from their encouraging early season success. And on top of their recent struggles, the agent for star Bradley Beal reportedly met with the Wizards before the game on Monday. There's no info on what was discussed, but with the trade deadline just days away, it's more than possible it was about Beal's future with the team.
