Fans from Europe are another level of passionate when it comes to sports.
According to Arkadios of Talk Basket, former NBA player Rudy Fernandez, who now plays for Real Madrid of the Euroleague, was attacked by a crazed Lithuanian fan in retaliation for a hard foul Fernandez committed in a prior game. Fernandez, who played for the Denver Nuggets last season but chose to return to Europe’s most successful basketball team on a 3-year contract.
Apparently, Fernandez’s assailant was a popular figure amongst Lithuanian basketball fans.
The incident occurred outside the arena, when Real Madrid squad was heading to their bus. According to Lithuanian media, one of the Macius twins headbutted Fernandez outside the arena and as a result there was blood, but it’s uncertain if it was Rudy’s or the assailant’s.
The Macius brothers are well-known cult figures in Lithuania, as they have a thing for basketball and tattoos and have only recently received the Lithuanian citizenship, as they were originally Latvian-born.
However it was not surprising for many people, including TB, who almost two months ago had written an article about the circumstances which eventually lead to tonight’s incident…
So Rudy’s own actions in that early January first leg in Madrid, created a hostile environment for him in Kaunas, with fans threatening him online about his upcoming visit, and when the visit finally realised, putting up obscene banners in the arena…
Here is a picture of the Macius twins as to which one attacked Fernandez is unclear right now.
Here is a clip of the incident from a few months ago that upset the Lithuanian fans.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd0L3DynejQ?feature=player_embedded&w=640&h=360]
There are a few assurances NBA players have that aren’t necessarily guaranteed when players go to Europe; you get paid on the first and the 15th of every month and fans won’t headbutt you.