A chaotic scene unfolded late in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 131–124 win over the the Brooklyn Nets when a fan suddenly sprinted onto the court and tried to reach Donovan Mitchell. The incident happened in the final minutes of the fourth quarter as Cleveland was holding a narrow lead at 121-115.
The man, phone in hand aimed directly at star guard Donovan Mitchell, appeared to be recording before security tackled and removed him within seconds. The referee blew his whistle immediately to pause the play.
Mitchell looked startled at first but quickly regained his focus, powered the Cavaliers to a 131-124 win with 35 points and five assists. Players from both sides looked on as officials briefly paused the game to restore order.
“I took a few steps back and then I repositioned my feet and then I was ready to handle whatever, what was necessary. But the kid wanted a selfie. I know he’s probably [in jail], but, when he gets out, he’s probably got a great selfie, I’m not going to lie.”, Mitchell commented later about the incident.
The Brooklyn Nets fell to 0-2 on the season after the game.
No one was hurt, but the moment reignited conversations around NBA security and player safety. Fans getting too close to athletes has become an alarming trend, and this latest episode only adds fuel to those concerns.
