Beal under investigation after verbal dispute in Orlando

Mar 28, 2023 - 1:00 PM

Washington Wizards v Orlando Magic" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UT6jYSITCJjXyttfGmzkqeSVn1c=/0x0:3606x2028/1920x1080/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72122542/1249036140.0.jpg" />

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal is under investigation in Orlando, Fla. for battery charges after Washington’s 122-112 loss to the Orlando Magic on Mar. 21.

According to TMZ, Beal got into an argument with two fans at the Amway Center after the loss. One of the fans yelled, ”You fucked me [out of] $1,300, you f***!” Beal then walked toward the fans and allegedly knocked of the hat out of one of the fans’ head and responded that bets aren’t why he plays the game. The action of allegedly knocking a hat is likely where a battery charge could come from.

Ultimately, the dispute was roughly 1-2 minutes. It is unclear whether Beal will be charged.

Player and fan disputes are nothing new in the NBA. But some disputes have become more heated in recent years, most notably with former Wizards guard Russell Westbrook. Furthermore, the reason why these fans were heckling Beal was because they lost money on bets.

To Beal, $1,300 is probably a drop in the bucket. To these fans, that is a significant amount of money. I can understand why they would be upset about losing money. But ultimately, Beal (and nearly every NBA player) doesn’t care about the number of individual points scored. Ultimately, it’s whether the team wins or not.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

---

For the record, DraftKings (DK) is an SB Nation/Vox Media partner, but DK did not pay me to write this article nor does DK influence my opinion.

Also, betting on sports games is GAMBLING! If you or someone else you know has a gambling problem, please call 1-800-GAMBLER. You must be 21 or older to place bets on a sportsbook like DraftKings.