You keep hearing that Lakers fans are really freaking out about the team’s 1-4 start and how they are blaming Mike Brown for it all. He’s not Phil Jackson, he brought in the Princeton offense (at Kobe Bryant’s urging, but still) and he has a track record of not being able to take a young and immature LeBron James, surrounded by a batch of mediocrity, to the promised land.
But it’s really getting out of hand for a few fans — Brown’s son got a death threat on twitter. His son is a pretty public figure, playing hoops at one of Southern California’s basketball powerhouses, Mater Dei.
Brown reacted more calmly than I would as a father. From the Orange County Register.“That’s the tough part about this business. To go after somebody’s family or something like that is, in my opinion, just ridiculous. It’s stupid, crazy, whatever you want to call it. They (family members) have nothing to do with what’s going on right now….”
Kristen Blake (Steve’s wife) wrote on Twitter: “Leave Mike Brown’s son alone. What’s wrong with u people?! Stop attacking FAMILIES! How would you feel if YOUR family was treated like that?”
Let’s be clear here — this is not all Lakers fans. While the fan base can certainly be irrational at points this is a step over the line that only a few idiots would take. Same with the fool in Salt Lake City pepper spraying a Jazz fan.
Of course, these same trolls skirting the edge will be the loudest supporters when the Lakers do figure things out later this season and will question anyone who says they doubted it would work. You got to love America.
