3 instances where fans disrespected players in the 2021 NBA Playoffs

New York Knicks fans have been relentless in targeting Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks with abusive chantsAtlanta Hawks v New York Knicks - Game Two

The 2021 NBA Playoffs have been highly entertaining so far, with several matchups going right down to the wire and, of course, the return of fans to arenas.

While crowd support is something the home teams have cherished, it hasn't necessarily been the best environment for players of visiting teams. We are barely a week into the playoffs, and there have already been quite a few incidents where stars have been disrespected in the worst manner possible.

On that note, we list three players who have had to deal with the fans' misconduct so far in the 2021 NBA playoffs.

#1 New York Knicks fans vs Trae Young

The New York Knicks made their return to the NBA Playoffs after a lengthy absence of seven years. The home team was boosted by the presence of fans in the arena, with Covid-19 restrictions eased by the NBA and the city officials. However, it wasn't a pleasant sight for the Atlanta Hawks, who had to deal with the pressure of playing as the away side.

Nonetheless, they fended off the pressure and claimed the win in Game 1 of the series. Trae Young, the Hawks' MVP on the night, had an NBA playoff debut to remember. He tallied 32 points and 10 assists to lead his team to a 107-105 win over the home side. He capped off his brilliant performance with a match-winning shot with 0.9 seconds to go and silenced the entire Madison Square Garden.

He later revealed to the NBA's TNT crew that Knicks fans were making "F-U" chants when asked about his celebrations after the game and how he felt about making his NBA playoff debut at MSG.

Knicks fans were at it in Game 2 as well and repeated the chants on Wednesday night. This time, though, they weren't being silenced at the end of the match as the home team ended up winning the tie 101-92.

While the chants were completely fine with Trae Young, new footage has emerged that shows a Knicks fan spitting at the guard while he was waiting to make an inbounds pass on the sidelines. This garnered a lot of attention and was deemed extremely disrespectful by several NBA fans on social media.

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#2 Philadelphia 76ers vs Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook was on the receiving end of a disrespectful gesture in Game 2 of the first-round 2021 NBA Playoffs series matchup between the Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.

Westbrook left the court to go to the locker room after suffering an ankle injury during the game, and while he was about to go to the tunnel, a 76ers fan poured popcorn over him, which left him furious. His good friend and colleague LeBron James, teammate Bradley Beal, and several other fans and former players were quick to come out in support of Westbrook and were disgruntled about the same.

#3 Denver Nuggets vs Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony

NBA players returning to play against their former teams hasn't always been a welcome sight. Carmelo Anthony was the latest star to face the wrath of his former team's fans, the Denver Nuggets, when he visited the Ball Arena to play Game 1 of the first-round 2021 NBA Playoffs series as part of the Portland Trail Blazers.

The moment he stepped foot on the court, fans started booing him instantly and were even louder at expressing their feelings when he touched the ball. He looked unfazed, though, and dropped 12 points in the first quarter of the match, knocking down four-of-five shot attempts. The Blazers ended up winning the game 123-109.

However, Game 2 did not go quite as planned for the Trail Blazers as they endured a 109-128 loss against the Nuggets. The home fans let the Trail Blazers and Carmelo Anthony hear it after the end of the match and were relentless with the way they hurled abuse at them.