Ex-NBA Star Richard Jefferson Criticizes Colleague's Take on Court-Storming
Richard Jefferson disagrees with Jay Bilas' suggestion of arresting court-stormers
Richard Jefferson's Response to Jay Bilas
Richard Jefferson, a former NBA star, criticized his ESPN colleague Jay Bilas' suggestion that people who storm the court after upset victories should be arrested.
Jefferson found Bilas' idea to be absurd and questioned whether it would be practical to detain or cite thousands of people in such situations.
He acknowledged that having the court stormed on him was unpleasant as a player, but argued that court-storming has long been a part of college sports and is not going away.
Defending Court-Storming
Jefferson defended court-storming in college sports, stating that it has been a tradition for decades.
He compared it to fans running onto the field in football when an underdog team defeats a top-ranked team, emphasizing that it is a way for passionate fans to celebrate their team's success.
Jefferson also argued that instead of trying to prevent court-storming altogether, measures should be taken to protect players during these situations.
Bilas' Proposal and Media's Role
Jay Bilas suggested a solution to court-storming: once fans are on the court, detain them and issue citations or even make arrests.
He also criticized the media for potentially encouraging court-storming by showcasing the incidents during broadcasts.
Bilas acknowledged that court-storming is likely to continue, but believes that some responsibility should be taken to discourage it.
