In the closing seconds of Texas Tech’s Saturday upset of then-No. 19 Oklahoma State, sophomore guard Marcus Smart committed a hard foul that sent him tumbling through a row of photographers, close to the fans who were seated behind the basket.
What followed has become a debate topic across Twitter, television and every other medium of communication, as Smart reacted to a comment by a Red Raider “super-fan” and pushed him.
The fan, Jeff Orr, claimed to have called Smart “a piece of crap” as the potential NBA-lottery pick tumbled into the crowd with six seconds remaining and his team trailing 63-61.
Smart’s shove warranted a technical foul and he now faces a three-game suspension.
Ohio coach Jim Christian, who recruited Smart while he coached at Texas Christian, said Smart was a “great kid,” and that everyone involved in the altercation might have some regrets.
“They’re kids,” Christian said. “You hope that never happens. You hate to see it happen to anybody. And nobody feels worse than Marcus Smart and probably the guy that provoked him. Nobody wins in that.”
In opposing arenas, despite codes of conduct discussed in game programs or explained by the public address announcer, fans often do try to get into players’ heads.
Ohio junior guard Stevie Taylor said he recalls experiences in his time at Ohio, including a game at Toledo his freshman year, when he heard disparaging comments regarding himself and senior guard Nick Kellogg.
“It’s part of the game, I guess,” Taylor said. “You can’t really think too much of it.”
Kellogg said that the oral abuse is something that athletes have to become accustomed to and that they have to find a way to block it out.
“Every athlete goes through that at some point in time,” Kellogg said. “Obviously (Smart) knows that he was a little out of line. Keeping your cool is something that, as an athlete, you kind of have to hang your hat on and do your best to not go overboard.”
Christian said he doesn’t give the players too much guidance on how to handle hecklers, as it’s something that he thinks they expect and can handle.
The fact that it was Smart, a former five-star recruit and preseason All-American, who received the three-game suspension provides a highly-visible example of how not to act on the court.
Christian said the altercation would prevent him and other coaches from having to address how to handle a heckler.
“I’m glad to see that there were repercussions,” Christian said. “Because, unfortunately, when it happens to the best players in the country, everybody sees it. It can happen in any gym, but if it happens to the best guy, everybody kind of takes notice and you probably don’t have to say anything now.”
@c_hoppens
ch203310@ohiou.edu
This article originally appeared in print under the headline "Heckling a problem for athletes"
