Much was made of how security reacted to Thursday night’s scuffle between Kevin Durant and P.J. Tucker during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. It turns out that there was a reason for the reaction.
According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, the man who charged onto the court to break up the confrontation was not just any security guard. He is actually on the Brooklyn Nets’ payroll as Durant’s personal bodyguard.
Tucker and the referees seemed baffled by the man’s intervention, and since none of them seemed to know who he was, it seemed his presence initially inflamed tensions instead of soothing them. You can see video of what happened by clicking here.
It’s not entirely clear why anyone, even Durant’s bodyguard, thought he was within his rights to rush onto the court and try to break up what appeared to be little more than some trash talk and modest pushing and shoving. That’s especially true if that person is on the organization’s payroll. It’s not a great look, and those who felt it was soft are only going to feel that way more strongly after discovering this fact.
More must-reads: