COVID-19 relief highlights differences between hostile atmospheres in Europe and NBA / News - Basketnews.com

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Basketball, like any other sport, is played for fans. Without supporters in the gym, it's just not feeling right. COVID-19 pandemic was a huge factor in the last couple of years that interrupted vocal support in the stands and accustomed us to a new reality: crowd-less bubbles, fake noises, and cardboard fans.

3-pointers this season

33%7,1Points made:7,1Accuracy:32,6%Place in standings:17Record max:14Record min:3Most made 3FGs:Ognjen DobricTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

The 2021-22 season has come to an end in all major leagues overseas and in North America. It's safe to say, this past campaign brought the memories of good basketball vibes back.

With several exceptions in Europe (Munich, Athens) and NBA (Toronto), all extreme measures and fans' restrictions were lifted throughout the entire season.

With basketball fans back in the building, home teams could finally enjoy the home-court advantage. Thus, atmospheres shifted to hostile ones where opponents no longer felt comfortable and pressureless as in empty venues.

Credit BNS | BasketNews illustration/E.Alšauskas

NBA

The crowd that attends the NBA games usually matches a calm profile. Fans across the Atlantic accept basketball as a game and a part of a show in the arena.

They share their time with family and friends to have a good time, taste some snacks and drinks, and enjoy the ride alongside in-game events. In the worst-case scenario, greeting a rival team with boos and whistles.

Fortunately, it's still the dominant type of NBA fan as such trends were shaken on several occasions in 2021-22.

Arguably the most vivid incident in the last NBA regular season occurred in Indiana, where the Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was being heckled courtside. The player made officials aware of death threat chants, while the referee stopped a game and instructed security to lead the mouthy duo out.

Speaking after the game, LeBron explained why he was so irate.

"When obscene gestures and language come into it, [it] can't be tolerated," he told reporters. "There's a difference between cheering for your team and not wanting the other team to win and things I would never say to a fan, and they shouldn't say to me."

NBA playoffs are a whole different experience in terms of atmosphere than regular-season contests. Fans are much more involved in the competition on the court and not limited to casual "Defense!" chants. Flying popcorns or water bottles are familiar scenes too.

But there is a necessity to take responsibility for your actions. Chris Paul experienced any player's worst nightmare when his family was harassed on Mother's Day. This took place in Dallas during Game 4 of the second-round series between Paul's Phoenix Suns and the Mavericks.

As a consequence, the Mavs franchise banned two fans from American Airlines Center until 2023 for attempting to give "unwanted hugs" to members of Paul's family. After the game ended, CP3 tweeted: "Wanna fine players for saying stuff to the fans, but the fans can put their hands on our families… F--- that!"

No matter what, TD Garden and Boston Celtics fans appeared at the epicenter of attention last season.

Firstly, they showed no love for former Celtics star guard Kyrie Irving when he came back to Boston with the Brooklyn Nets. Irving was serenaded by boos from TD Garden fans, and a "Kyrie sucks" chant.

So, when Irving knocked down a tough corner 3-pointer in Game 1 of the first-round series, he paid off with his middle finger to the fans.

"It's not every fan," Irving said after the match. "I don't want to attack every Boston fan, but when people start yelling p---y, b---h and f--k you and all that, there is only so much you can take as a competitor.

"All is fair in competition," he continued. "If somebody is going to call me out on my name, I'm going to look them straight in the eye and see if they are really about it. Most of the time, they are not."

Despite the case of Irving, Draymond Green was the one who received "the most special treatment" from TD Garden fans. In away games of the NBA Finals, Green had to endure one of the most hostile environments against a certain player in NBA history.

Yes, he is not a saint person as well, but that does not legitimize the insults he received.

Boston supporters were cursing Draymond Green all night by chanting "F--k you, Draymond!" and "Draymond sucks!". "Son of a b---h" was another way to address the athlete.

Steve Kerr reacted to the infamous chants from the TD Garden stands post-Game 3: "Classy. Very classy."

Klay Thompson reiterated Kerr's words: "[The crowd] was not a factor. We played in front of rude people before, dropping F-bombs with children in the crowd. Real classy. Good job, Boston."

Eventually, Golden State beat the Celtics in Game 6 to close out the championship in Boston and turned the tables.

Amidst the popping champagne bottles and the locker-room celebration, a familiar chant broke out among the Warriors players to mock their opponents: "F--k Draymond!"

As we can see, NBA fans generally overstep the mark when focusing on an individual player to throw him off balance or take revenge.

Europe

The situation in the NBA stands was a drop in the ocean compared to what was happening in Europe. More precisely, in Southeast of Old Continent.

"It's unlike anything else. European fans are different," former NBA and Lokomotiv Krasnodar player Alan Williams told Giorgos Kyriakidis of BasketNews. "They have a different passion and drive for their sports clubs. In America, you have die-hard fans who are really invested in their clubs, but the history of it all makes a big difference.

"Europe has been around longer - the infrastructure and the sporting world in the continent have been around for a longer period of time," Williams went on. "There's a deeply-rooted fanbase behind it. There's a lineage going along the line that creates and develops this true passion and fandom.

"So, when fans feel like players don't give their maximum effort, they're more emotionally driven and attached, and they're taking it personally. The passion of European fans is unreal and one of the reasons why I enjoy playing there so much."

It seems that Olympiacos Piraeus fans took it personally when Kevin Durant came to support his friend and former Panathinaikos Athens player, Mike James. Therefore they created an atmosphere KD could not forget.

After a sweep in the NBA postseason, Durant landed in Piraeus to spectate the do-or-die Game 5 in the EuroLeague playoffs between the hosts Olympiacos and AS Monaco. And the game delivered: not only with a game going neck-and-neck but also with scenes off the floor.

Durant has probably experienced what he never did before: an ear-splitting noise and hundreds of Olympiacos fans on the court jumping and screaming with flares in their hands. KD called the final scenes of the game "The apocalypse" on his Twitter account.

"Bring a flare to an NBA game if you want, and you might be in Rikers [jail in New York]," he added regarding the crazy atmosphere at Peace and Friendship Stadium in Greece.

The hell of Athens transferred to the Greek league's final, which featured eternal rivalry among the earlier mentioned two teams - Olympiacos and Panathinaikos.

Although Greek powerhouses did not gift an even match-up (Olympiacos made a 3-0 sweep), the events off the court made the final series a standout in Europe.

The series was a roller-coaster ride, which started with allegedly used tear gas and finished with a special farewell to Olympiacos legend Georgios Printezis.

Fans crossed the line in Games 2 and 3 when PAO were fined for an insulting banner and throwing objects, while Olympiacos received a monetary penalty for abusive slogans, inappropriate behavior, and tobacco use inside the arena.

Following the Greek derby, we arrive at the craziest final in Europe - the Adriatic League (ABA), where probably the fiercest rivals met each other. Two Serbian giants, Partizan NIS Belgrade and Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade, clashed face-to-face up to three victories.

It was Game 2 that sparked fireworks between the two sides. One of Partizan's coaching staff members had something to say to Zvezda fans sitting behind their bench, and the home fans reacted immediately. Various objects (glasses, bottles, etc.) were raining down on Partizan's players.

In addition to two defeats in Crvena Zvezda territory, the latter episode enraged Partizan fans to a level that hadn't been seen in the finals this year.

Once Zvezda players entered the court for warm-up in Game 3, Partizan fans barraged them with everything they got nearby.

The third game of the series was eventually interrupted as home fans began throwing objects at Crvena Zvezda's bench during the game. Both teams and the game officials headed to their respective locker rooms.

While going to the locker room, one of the referees was hit on his head even though armed security was around.

The match ultimately resumed. To avoid the assaults from happening again, Partizan players escorted their opponents to the locker room themselves.

Partizan won two games at home and brought the series to a decisive contest.

Game 5 in Zvezda's home ground continued on the same trend. The beginning of the second half was delayed due to the referee's decision to empty one part of the stands.

The official saw that some Zvezda fans were in the part of the tribune near the tunnel, where,according to the ABA League ban, they should not be.

The chaos continued as all referees left the floor with 6:46 left in the third tally after a missile barrage from the stands. Eventually, both clubs' players left the court too, and the game was temporarily suspended.

Referees ordered the whole arena to be emptied. This took a long time as some fans were not hurried to leave. Several of them were taking selfies in the middle of the hardcourt. After somewhere an hour, Game 5 was renewed, and Crvena Zvezda won the ABA League trophy for the third time in a row.

Although the great atmosphere was a key element European basketball junkies were missing throughout the multiple COVID-19 outbreaks, the ABA League finals also showed the dark side of the fan culture return.

It's even hard to call it culture if people are in charge of violent actions. Little by little, vocal abuse escalates in intensity until aggression breaks out.

"I don't think that throwing stuff on the court is ever acceptable whatsoever. It's not going to make us [players] play harder, it's not going to make you feel better. It will only make everybody feel pretty bad," Alan Williams noted in an interview with BasketNews.

In this particular case, the passivity of the Adriatic League and those responsible for the clubs make us wonder to what extent it benefits them. Yes, the league handed fines to the responsible Serbian clubs, but that's behind the point, as a loss of money will not solve the deep issues.

"From the first day, I appealed to some things, to calm the passion and play basketball. This is a serious league, and in order to be serious, all the players in the game must be respected. Players and others on the bench," the legendary coach Zeljko Obradovic said after Game 3 in the ABA finals.

Later, nine-time EuroLeague champ called the rivalry "a great shame" for what was happening. And when the series was finished, he did not mince words either.

"The question for all the people who live in this area and play in the ABA League is whether this will ever stop," said Obradovic. "The rules must be set from day one, the players must be allowed to play, the referees need to be allowed to do their job, the rules must be introduced, so the things like this don't happen. ... I feel sorry for the players."

No doubt that players and their families deserve a safe space at games.

Disrespect, abuse, or assault are never okay, so there is hope the ABA League (as well as other leagues) can come up with tangible and actionable solutions to deter future incidents.

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