By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
In the last minute of the game between the Washington Wizards and Miami Heat at Capital One Arena, Mike Batiste charged at a fan sitting a few rows behind the Wizards bench and was separated before physical contact could be made. Players Montrezl Harrell and Thomas Bryant, and others stepping in prevented the situation from getting worse.
The incident with a fan and the Wizards bench in which Harrell had to intervene: pic.twitter.com/IiNXUp7Z8x
— NBC Sports Wizards (@NBCSWizards) February 8, 2022
“To my understanding, a fan or several fans said something that was out of line. Obviously, we have to take the high road and just can’t indulge in that. I think it was a situation where something was said that was a bit over the line and I think it got the best of one of our coaches. Either way, you have to take the high road,” commented Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. on Batiste’s reaction.
Batiste, 44, a three-time EuroLeague champion with Panathinaikos, joined the Wizards as the Manager of Player Development following stints at the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic as an assistant coach. He previously served as a player development assistant with the Brooklyn Nets. In 2014, he concluded his playing career stretching from Greece, Turkey, Italy, and Belgium to one NBA season as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Wizards fell to 24-29 and to one game outside the Eastern Conference Play-In zone with their eighth loss in the last nine games of the 2021-22 NBA Regular Season. The five-game homestand starting with two losses in a row continues against the Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings, and Detroit Pistons, Thursday through Monday.