A clip of the Illawarra Hawks fan who poured the remnants of his beer on Marcus Thornton's head during the game against the Sydney Kings on Wednesday night has gone viral.
If you missed the game, or haven't yet heard about this shocking lack of regard for opposition players, the facts are these:
Midway through the third quarter, the Kings were up 62-61, Thornton made a drive for the basket, but promptly slipped over, sliding towards the promotional signage barrier. In an act of apparent malice, a hand is seen in the top right corner of the frame, tipping a beer onto Thornton's head.
Thornton jumps up, understandably confused and disgusted, and waits for match officials to take action, frowning at the man before walking away.
Since the incident, international sports sites have picked up the story, expressing outrage and shock at the poor sportsmanship shown by the Illawarra supporter towards the former Boston Celtics draft pick.
Several well known sites, including the Washington Post, Deadspin and the Bleacher Report are disgusted with the fan's nonchalant attitude after emptying the contents of his can.
The Washington Post article focuses most on the attitude of the man, and his lack of remorse and attempt at pretending the deliberate spill never happened.
Writer Marissa Payne is incredulous as to the supporter's actions, writing "Yes, that dude just blatantly dumped beer on the head of Sydney Kings player Marcus Thornton (the Celtics draft pick, not the Houston Rockets guard), who slid into the barrier while attempting to recover a loose ball against the Illawarra Hawks in a game on Wednesday."
Sports site Deadspin covered the story soon after it happened last night, choosing to focus on the man's lack of foresight. Holding the beer post sprinkle, Samer Kalaf writes, might be one important identifying element incriminating the man.
Kalaf writes "...As the Kings player got up, a fan in the stands, sprinkled beer on his head. The bearded man did not think this through."
"Why did the guy dump beer on Thornton, and also, why did he think he'd get away with it? He was at a televised basketball game in an arena with a capacity of about 6,000, and also, he was the only person in the vicinity holding a beer".
Kyle Newport from Bleacher Report criticises the act, saying "Pouring a drink on a player certainly falls under the category of "unacceptable behavior."
After describing the lead up to the event, Newport writes "Instead of just drinking the beer he paid for, one fan decided to share it with Thornton. And by "share," I mean he poured some on the 22-year-old basketball player's head while he was down on the court."
The fan was quickly condemned on social media.
To #MarcusThornton of the #SydneyKings I apologize on behalf of good Australians for that moron who threw beer at you.— Roberto (@Roberto_ROC181)
November 25, 2015
Classy, Illawarra..— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings)
November 25, 2015
And the latest Fan Hall of Shame inductee; 'The Beer Guy' Keeping the @illawarrahawks V @SydneyKings rivalry alive! https://t.co/FP6A7SyTWr— Sam Squiers (@SamSquiers)
November 25, 2015
Total class from @M3Thornton in the post game. Handled it like such a pro. No player should have to deal with that. @SydneyKings #hardball— ᴹᴬᴿᴺᴵ (@marniewing)
November 25, 2015
What a disgrace @illawarrahawks corporate fan poured his beer over @SydneyKings import Marcus Thornton @NBL pic.twitter.com/bhuBR9YlWf— Tim Morrissey (@timmorrissey)
November 25, 2015
The fan, who remains identified, was soon removed from Wollongong's WIN Stadium and could face a lifetime ban or suspension. NBL officials have announced they will investigate the incident.
