A San Antonio Spurs fan faced a violent assault as an unruly crowd attacked him, ripping off his jersey in a widely shared video, following the chaos that erupted in Midtown after Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
The 39-year-old fan was making his way back to his hotel shortly after midnight on Tuesday when a large group approached him near 306 West 47th Street, according to the NYPD.
Footage circulating on social media captures the man, clad in a Spurs jersey, attempting to walk down the street before trying to flee as a hostile crowd closed in around him.
During the chaotic scene, he was struck and kicked, and his No. 21 Tim Duncan jersey was violently torn off as frenzied Knicks fans flooded Midtown following their narrow loss in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
The Spurs fan attempted to defend himself but was overpowered and repeatedly kicked to the ground. He then scrambled to escape, pursued closely by the aggressive group, as shown in the social media clips.
As he tried to make his getaway, one assailant was caught on video delivering a kick that sent him tumbling to the ground.
He suffered cuts to his face and bruising and was taken to Mount Sinai West Hospital in stable condition, cops said.
The NYPD released pictures of six separate people wanted in connection with the violent robbery.
Though none of the wanted individuals appeared to be pictured in Knicks merch, many fans clad in blue and orange were seen in the massive crowd closing in on the Spurs fan.
Some New Yorkers and Knicks faithful blasted the hooligans for the violence in subsequent videos shared online.
Police arrested 21 people overnight for offenses including assault on a police officer, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, menacing, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration after trying to control the thousands of people gathered outside a Bryant Park Knicks watch party.
In a separate assault, dozens of enraged Knicks fans surrounded a Spurs fan on the streets and tore apart his Victor Wembanyama jersey.
Five NYPD officers were injured in the fracas, with some ruffians chucking glass objects at each other and police officers, and ripping bus signs and trees out of the ground to throw them.
Rowdy fans also climbed scaffolding, light poles, police cars, and NYPD trucks, causing “significant damage,” police said.
An investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
