It is no secret that sports fans are some of the most intense people on the planet. They want to see their team win and if they do not, the true beast of the sports fan is revealed. This type of situation is normally proven true during playoff time when teams are close to winning a championship. The San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies are so close to the NBA Finals, raising fan's excitement level. This can sometimes cause negative reactions. Tony Parker understands this as the Spurs point guard received death threats during Game 1 of the team's series against the Grizzlies.
The Sherriff's Office in Bexar County, which includes San Antonio, is investigating calls of death threats aimed towards Parker on Sunday. The local NBC news station reports someone called 911, threatening to end Parker's life during the Western Conference finals. The police are continuing investigations on the call but have increased security around the arena along with more security courtside during the game.
Parker certainly had his way with Memphis in Game 1. The call came from a payphone, likely from an upset fan that lost a bet. Parker assisted in the Spurs cruising to a 105-83 win. He ate away at the defense, finishing with 20 points on 14 shots. As a team, San Antonio went 14-of-29 from the 3-point line. Memphis could not find a way to contain them.
The Spurs defense was even better. They essentially eliminated Zach Randolph from the game and had their way with Mike Conley. Memphis was forced to spend most of their off days figuring out what changes they can make to the lineup in order to find more success.
The two teams will face off again Tuesday night in San Antonio before the series switches over to Memphis. Randolph is expected to have more movement on the ball. Marc Gasol was double-teamed in an effort to keep him away from the ball while Tayshaun Prince must space out the floor to get an outside shot.
Parker will likely be unfazed by the death threats. Every fan base has those few individuals that fail to remember that it is just a game, but San Antonio police intend to take it as serious as anything else.
