Russell Westbrook pushed by young fan, says fans have 'too much leeway'

OKLAHOMA CITY — Thunder star Russell Westbrook expressed his feelings after a run-in with a young fan courtside during Tuesday night's game in Denver.

"He hit me," Westbrook told reporters in the video below after the Thunder's 121-112 loss to the Nuggets.

[ READ MORE: Jokic scores 36 points, Denver beats Thunder 121-112 ]

Toward the end of the third quarter of the game, play stopped after a foul call on the floor and a young fan sitting courtside appeared to get up and hit Westbrook on the side as the former MVP walked down the court.

During the stoppage of play, Westbrook bent over and appeared to talk with the Nuggets fan and who he was sitting with on the sideline:

"So I told his dad, 'be careful, man, you can't have your son just hitting random people. I don't know him, he don't know me. So, just letting him know, 'You've just got to control your kids.'" -Russell Westbrook/NBA on ESPN

"For all fans though, there's too much leeway for the fans to be able to touch the players and get away with it, and then you can't react and do the things that we need to do to protect ourselves. … But I can't do nothing. What am I going to do, hop in the stands? But there has to be some type of rule or some type of boundaries set that you can't allow that." - Russell Westbrook/Slam Magazine

This is not the first time Westbrook has had a close encounter with fans on the court in Denver.

After a loss to the Nuggets in February of last season, a fan ran on the court and screamed at Westbrook after which the Thunder guard shoved him back. That fan was later banned from the arena and the NBA did not fine Westbrook for the shove.

READ MORE: NBA won't punish Westbrook for shoving fan

The Thunder return to Oklahoma City Thursday to host the Philidelphia 76ers.

Cox Media Group