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Hawks star Trae Young on fan who spit on him at Madison Square Garden: 'That's disgusting'

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young said he didn’t actually feel the spit from the New York fan that spat on him during Game 2 of their opening-round playoff series against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

Prior to Game 3 in Atlanta, Young said while he's completely fine with heckling fans on the road, the spitting fan crossed a line.

“I didn’t feel [the spit]. I saw the video, and it’s disgusting,” Young said on ESPN. “For me as a player, I come out here to do my job and play. I have no problem with the fans and what they’ve been saying and things like that, it’s a part of it. It’s basketball. I enjoy it, I love it. I’m not mad at the fans who chant things or whatever. That’s for another subject.

“But for spitting and things like that, that’s uncalled for in any arena or any environment. That’s disgusting.”

Knicks banned fan for spitting on Trae Young

The Knicks banned the fan that spit on Young indefinitely from Madison Square Garden after the incident, which was one of three that happened that day across the NBA.

The fan actually leaned over rapper and entertainer 50 Cent to spit on Young, too.

Several Utah Jazz fans made inappropriate comments to Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant’s family during their game on Wednesday in Salt Lake City, too, which resulted in indefinite bans.

A fan in Philadelphia actually dumped popcorn on Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook as he was leaving the game against the 76ers with an ankle injury, too. That fan was also ejected and banned indefinitely.

“To be completely honest, man, this s*** is getting out of hand,” Westbrook said. “Especially for me, the amount of disrespect, the amount of fans just doing whatever the f*** they want to do. In any other setting, I’m all for fans enjoying the game. It’s part of sports; I get it. But there are some things that cross the line. In any other setting, I know for a fact that fans … wouldn’t come up, a guy wouldn’t come up on the street and pour popcorn on my head. Because we’d know what happen."

The league has since announced a new fan code of conduct.

"The return of more NBA fans to our arenas has brought great excitement and energy to the start of the playoffs, but it is critical that we all show respect for players, officials and our fellow fans," the league said in a statement. "An enhanced fan code of conduct will be vigorously enforced in order to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all involved."

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