Marcus Smart pushed a Texas Tech fan at the end of the Oklahoma State's loss to the Raiders for calling him the N-word. Smart pushed the fan, who's name is Jeff Orr, which ended up in the sophomore guard going to the bench. Here's the video of Smart pushing the fan below:
It appears that the fan that got pushed by Smart is apparently a not-so-nice guy. One Twitter user found what he did to a player during a previous game:
https://twitter.com/realpatwilson/status/432374076812689408
Video of that can be seen here, as he wags his tongue at the player while also giving him a "F**k you!" gesture:The fan, whose name is Jeff Orr, is regarded as Texas Tech's No. 1 fan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2Eoa1Ko_lxE&w=620
Orr reportedly called Smart the N-word:
https://twitter.com/ryaber/status/432383483428610048
Orr has had a history of heckling college athletes. Utah Jazz point guard John Lucas III still remembers Orr during his college days:
https://twitter.com/Luke1luk/statuses/432390294806343681
Following that report, Doug Gottlieb of ESPN released some text messages his Texas Tech friend had with Orr. Orr says he didn't say anything vulgar or the N-word, but he says he said something he shouldn't have:
https://twitter.com/GottliebShow/status/432395107166195712
https://twitter.com/GottliebShow/status/432395633962405890
https://twitter.com/GottliebShow/status/432396619938410496
It's hard to judge if Orr was telling the truth or not. He's on the losing side right now based off his previous actions. Not sure if Orr would even admit he said the N-word, if he really did. It also seems kinda shady to me that Gottlieb's friend won't screenshot the reply either.
Robert Littal of Black Sports Online makes a great point from Gottlieb's tweets:
https://twitter.com/BlkSportsOnline/status/432397804829294593
Amazingly right after Gottlieb's tweets, an Oklahoma State beat writer confirmed that Orr called Smart the N-word:
https://twitter.com/KellyHinesTW/status/432396350114627584
After that report, Orr was semi-right on his texts to that Texas Tech fan when he said that it was something he shouldn't have said. Allegedly, he told Smart to "go back to Africa," or even added the n-word into that. We don't know, but some of these tweets provide a perspective:
https://twitter.com/RockChalkFB/statuses/432404763536134145
https://twitter.com/EricSports/statuses/432405660211220480
https://twitter.com/SportStation_/statuses/432406421477396480
Many people are currently in support for Marcus Smart. Duke's Jabari Parker wrote on Twitter that the "media is giving Marcus Smart a hard time. They definitely casting the first stone for something they know little of. I got your back bro."
Metta World Peace — who is notorious for beating up a fan during the infamous "Malice at the Palace" incident — offered some words of advice to Smart on Twitter saying that "all mistakes and missteps are a foundation for improvement. Sometimes the game is so intense, we forget it's just a game."
Others, such as former NBA forward Desmond Mason, say there is still no excuse for Smart's actions:
https://twitter.com/dmasonart/statuses/432413911946493952
I mean, you have to agree with Mason on that. He has a point. But still, it was in the heat of the moment. I don't think anybody no knows what could happen if they do something in the heat of the moment.
I'm not sure if Smart has ever dealt with racial slurs while he was playing in Oklahoma State, so this could have been first time. We don't know. But otherwise, it's pretty understandable on Smart's end. Jeff Orr is just lucky that Smart just shoved him.
When you're there saying something a player that's obviously going to make him mad or get violent, why say it? Someday someone is gonna knock your teeth in, and Orr is lucky it hasn't happened to him already.
New story to come once an investigation is completed by the Big 12.
