Buffalo Wild Wing gets blowback for invite to NBA fan who ran on court
· Yahoo Sports
Some sports fans think Buffalo Wild Wings is playing chicken over its response to the person who ran onto the court at the first game of the NBA Finals.
On June 4, the wing chain took to X to address the incident at the game between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs a day earlier during which a fan ran onto the court trying to get a selfie with Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.
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"Internet, help us find the banned fan. He can watch the rest of the finals at B-Dubs on us," Buffalo Wild Wings wrote.
Buffalo Wild Wings' response to the debacle drew widespread attention on social media; the post garnered 4.8 million views as of June 5. While some fans supported the restaurant, many people took issue with the chain's offer.
USA TODAY has reached out to Buffalo Wild Wings.
Social media rips Buffalo Wild Wings for offer to banned NBA fan
In response to Buffalo Wild Wings' post, many users criticized the chain for drawing further attention to the fan's actions.
"Bro what? I’ll never eat at BWW’s again if y'all reward this, one person said, calling the fan's actions illegal, dangerous.
Another user wrote: "This is completely insane and only empowering this behavior. Literally the exact opposite of what you should be doing."
Even retired NBA player Blake Griffin weighed in on the post, writing: "This ain’t it. @wingstop would never #notapaidpost." Buffalo Wild Wings competitor Wingstop replied and agreed with Griffin.
Not everyone was against the move. One user wrote, "sure he did something not cool but ay what a way to step in!"
Another responded: "It's amazing how many people are offended by a kid running onto a basketball court."
Fan arrested, banned from NBA arenas after running on court during Finals
In the fourth quarter of the game on June 3, a fan ran onto the court, interrupting play.
He was seen pulling his phone out to take a selfie with Wembanyama before security quickly swooped in and escorted him away. Wembanyama laughed, while nearby Knicks player Mitchell Robinson looked confused.
The next day, the NBA announced that the fan was arrested and is banned for life from all NBA arenas. A second individual involved in the incident was also banned from attending NBA games, the league said.
Contributing: Victoria Hernandez, Scooby Axson and Mark Giannotto, USA TODAY
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buffalo Wild Wings called out for welcoming NBA fan who ran on court