Christian Wood’s “Shaqtin’ A Fool” moment has taken a turn for the worse.
The Houston Rockets big man threw an errant pass during Monday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets that sailed on him and hit a woman in the stands. The pass hit the woman right in the head as she was walking by.
“Inside Edition” aired an interview Thursday with Isabella Fitz, the woman who was struck. Fitz said that she had to go to the emergency room and was diagnosed with a concussion and a hairline fracture in her cheekbone. Fitz also had swelling and red marks on her face, she added.
“I got hit so hard in the head, I honestly had no idea what happened,” Fitz said, noting that her vision went black. “When I stood up I was disoriented and my ears were ringing.”
Fitz, who said that doctors told her she could not return to work for three weeks, also expressed unhappiness about the reaction to her injury.
“There was definitely a laugh from the [game] announcers and a comment, ‘She seems to be OK,'” said Fitz. “But I took a basketball to the face.”
Fitz was not pleased with Wood’s reaction either. Wood posted about the incident to his Instagram Story with a laughing-face emoji, the message “happens to the best of us,” and an offer of courtside tickets to a Rockets game of her choice.
“By no means was that appropriate,” said Fitz of Wood’s post.
Fitz also said that she would like Wood to directly apologize to her.
The Rockets do not play in Charlotte again this season, so it sounds like Wood’s offer of courtside seats probably will not be enough here.
More must-reads: