Australian point guard Patty Mills was subject to a racist taunt from a Cavaliers fan, during the San Antonio Spurs' 110-94 win in Cleveland.
@KingJames am I the only one who heard this guy in the crowd yell “hey Jamaican dog they want their bobsledder back! Hey @Patty_Mills Jamaica just called, they want their bobsledder back!” 😳😠🙅🏾♀️ #SundayFunday ??? @NBA pic.twitter.com/RvHdu88Gzd
— Zandra Ashley (@thats_Z_Truth) February 25, 2018
MORE: Patty Mills moves into fourth all-time on Spurs' three-pointers made list
The incident occured with 2:29 remaining in the fourth quarter with Mills lining up at the free-throw line.
Arena microphones picked up the fan's words that he hurled in Mills' direction: “Hey, Jamaican dog. They want their bobsledder back,” the fan yelled.
Mills, whose parents are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander took to Twitter after a Twitter user sent him the video of the incident, appealing for further education and enlightenment for the fan, especially during Black History Month.
Thanks @thats_Z_Truth. I am a proud Islander. Like my Jamaican Brothers, me & my family in the islands of the Torres Strait have experienced racial slurs for decades. Hope your efforts will enlighten this confused, hateful fan. #BlackHistoryMonth https://t.co/yH3nKlGv4A
— Patrick Mills (@Patty_Mills) February 26, 2018
The incident marred what should have been a night of celebration for Mills, who with his second three-pointer of the night and 657th of his Spurs career, moved into fourth all-time on the franchise's three-pointers made list, passing Matt Bonner.
Mills finished the night with 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-6 from the three-point line, five assists, two rebounds and one steal in 35 minutes of action.