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Adelaide coach Joey Wright has questioned the behaviour of a sections of Perth’s NBL crowd, saying he’s uncomfortable with how close they were to the 36ers bench.
Wright was slapped on the back by a supporter in the VIP section during the final quarter of Adelaide’s 95-84 win over the Wildcats on Saturday night.
The game was played in front of a new Perth Arena and Wildcats home game crowd record of 13,611.
The fan went to give the coach a high five after the 36ers scored and appeared to have sewn up victory.
But when the coach ignored him, he gave him a congratulatory slap on the back instead.
While Wright didn’t feel threatened by that particular incident, he said being touched and abused by members of the Perth crowd was nothing new.
“It seems that every time we come to Perth they put some guys right next to the bench who are pretty rowdy. Some of the things are pretty crude that they say,” he said.
“I probably expect a little more from this organisation.
“I have been pushed from that spot; I am not comfortable with that; it is a disappointment.”
Wright said that the group that sat next to the bench on Saturday night was well behaved, although he didn’t feel comfortable with the slap on the back.
The corporate seating at Perth Arena, as it is in most venues, is basically an extension of the opposition bench, with no gap, or barrier between the players and coaches and the members of the crowd who are usually enjoying corporate hospitality.
While Wright said Saturday’s group was good, it isn’t always that way in Perth.
“Whoever they put there usually has some pretty crude language for me,” Wright said.
“It is always pretty exciting siting there.
“There was no crude language tonight; that group was a good group. They were rowdy, they were speaking to us, but they weren’t a problem.
“He wasn’t (slapping me) to be mean.”
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