National Basketball Association

NBA fines Westbrook $25,000 for language; Jazz ban fan

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:28 p.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has fined Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook $25,000 for the language he directed toward a fan in Utah.

Meanwhile, the Jazz have banned the fan from all events at their arena permanently and effective immediately.

Westbrook says the fan made racial comments toward him during the Jazz-Thunder game on Monday night. The NBA and the Jazz both investigated the matter and released decisions Tuesday afternoon. Westbrook was fined for using both profanity and threatening language, which he did from the sideline.

The Jazz say that the fan was banned for "excessive and derogatory verbal abuse" during the game.