Fan at Blazers Game Admits She Mistook Banter Aimed at Pelicans Player for Anti-Semitic Chant
By Mark Powell
For non-sports fans, the activities and chants that regularly occur at NBA games in particular are entirely confusing. This is especially true if you, for instance, don't know any of the opposing players.
A Blazers fan found this out the hard way. During Portland's 'Hanukkah night', Kate Rozansky thought she heard an NSFW anti-semitic chant, which was thankfully nothing of the sort.
Last night Jeremy and I went to a Blazers game and it happened to be Hanukkah night. It was fun! They had a big menorah. But towards the end of the game (which was going poorly) some drunk guys behind us started yelling about this "f---ing Jew holiday"
— Kate Havard Rozansky (@KateHavard) December 24, 2019
Understandably, Rozansky was incredibly alarmed, but little did she know she misunderstood the chant altogether.
The Blazers happened to be playing the New Orleans Pelicans that night. On what was a rough loss for a Portland team trying to get back into playoff contention, Blazers supporters behind Rozansky were actually yelling at Jrue Holiday.
but uh, turns out the other team had a player named Jrue Holiday and he was having a good night
— Kate Havard Rozansky (@KateHavard) December 24, 2019
We would never take racism lightly, but in this case it was all a misunderstanding.
Considering how forward-thinking the NBA is, any actual anti-semitism at a game or event would be greeted with a lifetime ban for the fan in question. In this case, maybe the Blazers ought to just lay off Holiday. It's not his fault Dame Dolla and Co. are underachieving.