A visibly frustrated Josh Giddey clashed with a fan courtside during Chicago’s 123-116 loss to the Hornets in Charlotte on Saturday with security then removing the heckler in the closing stages of the contest.
With 1:16 left on the clock and the Bulls trailing 119-112, a fan wearing sunglasses got under the skin of Giddey prior to a Chicago in-bound play.
The fan called out, taunting the Boomers gun, as he danced and “flipped the bird”.
Close confrontation: Josh Giddey clashes with the fan, who was sitting close to the action.Credit: AP
Giddey marched down the court to confront his agitator, with the referee getting between the two men before security finally arrived and removed the offender to the jeers of the Spectrum Centre crowd.
“He just said something I didn’t like, and I went over to him – that was it,” Giddey said after the game.
“Security took him out and that was the end of it.”
The point guard appeared on target to bag his fifth triple-double haul of the season but didn’t get the opportunities he needed.
Giddey finished with 25 points (matching Coby White as the Bulls’ top scorer) and 11 rebounds, but just missed out on a triple-double with nine assists as his side sank to their third loss in the past four games.
Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic, who has been battling knee soreness, was limited to 13 points, although he did grab a game-high 14 rebounds.