A Wizards’ assistant coach jumped into the stands Monday evening to fight a fan but was grabbed before any further chaos could ensue.
It all went down at the end of Washington’s lopsided loss to the Heat; cameras showed Mike Batiste appearing to lunge at a fan sitting a few rows behind Washington’s bench.
The footage shows Batiste getting up from his chair, jumping over a row of seats, and nearly making contact with a fan. However, Wizards’ players grabbed him to defuse the situation.
A former pro basketballer who now serves as the Wiz’s manager of player development, Batiste was escorted into the locker room as the final seconds ticked off the game clock.
“Obviously, we have to take the high road and just can’t indulge in that,” said Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. “But, I think it was a situation where something was said that was a bit over the line and I think it got the best of one of our coaches. But, either way, you have to take the high road.”
There’s no word as to whether or not the 44-year-old Batiste will be punished for his role in the incident.
