By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Buducnost guard Norris Cole commented on the hostile pregame atmosphere against his team in the fifth and last match of the ABA League Finals vs. Crvena Zvezda with some statements to Eurohoops.
“That was the most unacceptable and unprofessional basketball environment. The ABA league should be ashamed of what happened tonight. They threw chairs, drinks, spit, fireworks, and other objects on to the court and their fans ran on the court disrupting our warmups to the point we had to leave the court. Totally unsafe and unacceptable.”
The game shouldn’t have been played. But they threatened we would forfeit the championship if we didn’t return to the court.”
When Buducnost players entered the floor for their warmup session, various objects were hurled at them from the stands. The squad immediately turned back to return to the locker room.
The Montenegrin club released a statement saying that: “When our players set out to enter the arena, total hysteria and shooting with all possible hard things went off: coins, phone batteries, stones, full bottles, broom parts, lighters, chairs. About 40 fans entered the court and came to the bench KK Budućnost Voli, they spit on and physically attacked our players. Cole, Earl Clark, and Nemanja Gordic. Gordic was hit with a chair stolen by a fan.”
Regarding the similar incidents that took place in Game 4 in Podgorica and brought a sanction to Buducnost, Cole said the following to Eurohoops:
“Podgorica fans didn’t run on the court during warms up. They didn’t touch any players. They didn’t throw any chairs or multiple soda cups on the court. And the ABA league stepped in to control it..but they didn’t step up to control the environment in Belgrade. Podgorica didn’t vandalize the playing court.”