Courtside Fan Ejected After Forceful Chest Pass to Referee

Overview

• The ejection that occurred Wednesday happened late in the third quarter when a courtside spectator returned an out-of-bounds ball with a hard chest pass to referee Chelisa Painter and security escorted him out with about 2:35 remaining.
• Luka Dončić confronted the fan on the baseline, saying the pass was “really strong” and asking what the fan was doing, which helped escalate officials’ decision to remove the spectator.
• The fan’s wife, Kellie DeMarco, posted on Instagram on Nov. 8 defending her husband as a former basketball player who meant no harm and expressing regret that the pass was misread.
• Video of the exchange went viral and many fans have publicly defended the couple, with social‑media callers urging an apology or refund for the ejected spectator.
• The NBA’s Fan Code of Conduct allows immediate ejection for actions such as throwing objects or interfering with play, but the league and the arena have not publicly specified which provision justified this removal or announced any remedy.