Damian Lillard properly confronts fans in viral video

Damian Lillard confronted fans after a tough loss at Minnesota. But what actually happened?

“What’d you say? Which one of y’all said that?”

That was Damian Lillard, speaking to a group of fans huddled near the Portland Trail Blazers’ bus after Monday night’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center in Minnesota.

Which one of them said what, exactly?

In videos posted by Twitter user @PoppeAlex, it’s not clear what was said to Lillard. But the videos do show Lillard approaching and confronting the group. In a later tweet, @PoppeAlex posted what he claims was said to Lillard.

On Tuesday, Chris Haynes of ESPN reported that “two fans shouted anti-gay slurs” at Lillard. It’s not clear if the slurs were those reported by @PoppeAlex’s in his tweet.

Lillard’s Twitter comments about the incident Monday don’t provide much detail. He did say that the person holding the camera wasn’t the one who said whatever it was that set him off.

Rough Night for Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers are an inconsistent basketball team, at times struggling to finish games and remain afloat in a crowded Western Conference. Lillard, however, is having one of his best seasons, averaging 25.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists.

But the two-time All Star and franchise player was clearly not happy after Monday night’s gut-punch loss to the Timberwolves. Portland blew a ten-point lead while committing five turnovers in the fourth quarter – including four in a row during one dismal stretch.

But it was Lillard’s inability to get a foul call and the free-throw discrepancy between the two teams – 21 to 5 in favor of the Timberwolves – that really seemed to bother Lillard. According to several journalists, Lillard was as angry as they had ever seen him.

In a post-game interview, Lillard said:

"“At crucial moments, we’re making plays and trying to score and guys (are) getting hit, guys literally out there grabbing my arms. I got hit in the face one time, and it’s like in shooting motion. It’s a clear, easy play, and it’s impacting the game.”"

In fact, the Blazers weren’t awarded a single free throw during a tightly contested and physical fourth quarter. And as Danny Marang of Blazer’s Edge reports, the lack of Portland free throws is historically noteworthy: Since 1963, just one-half of 1 percent of NBA games involve a team attempting five or fewer free throws.

Potentially Explosive Situation

So let’s review. We have:

• An angry Lillard, who has made respect a big part of his professional platform, possibly feeling disrespected by NBA officials. (Lillard ranks seventh in the NBA in free throw attempts this season, by the way.)
• A frustrating, last-minute loss to a division rival in a game that features a historically noteworthy discrepancy in free throw attempts.
• Fans and autograph-seekers waiting near the Blazers’ team bus, with someone reportedly shouting a slur at Lillard.

Powder keg, meet the spark.

Athletes vs. Fans

Altercations between fans and athletes are nothing new. Perhaps the NBA’s ugliest and most infamous skirmish occurred in Detroit in 2004 and has come to be known as “The Brawl.” Also, as recently as Dec. 10 when Quinton Jefferson of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks nearly climbed into the stands in Jacksonville to confront fans.

Lillard’s confrontation after the game in Minnesota pales in comparison to those. The situation was quickly defused and there was no threat of violence or escalation. Lillard said the fans were just looking for attention and later tweeted that the person who allegedly shouted the slur at him apologized.

After video of the incident was posted, headlines began popping up across the media-sphere.

A sampling:

Deadspin: “Damian Lillard Shut Down Some Timberwolves Fans.”

Blazer’s Edge: “Cell Phone Video Captures Damian Lillard Yelling at Fans Following Timberwolves Loss.”

For the Win (USA Today): “Damian Lillard confronted fan who disrespected him outside arena.”

Modern Media

In an age of clicks and page views, when modern media platforms seek to maximize the number of eyeballs gawking at their content, a story like this will inevitably go viral. It has everything we crave: a famous athlete, a confrontation, and a video. The medium of video is powerful – it adds drama and an almost hyper-reality to a situation.

Next: Pat Connaughton's importance off the bench

Hopefully, we’ll discover more about this story soon. Lillard himself may have more to say about what happened, although it looked as if by late Monday night, he’d already moved on from the whole thing.

Lillard is one of the game’s most respected players. And if the details of the story are accurate, then kudos to him for confronting and reproaching those fans for their behavior.