Did the N-word provoke OSU’s Marcus Smart to shove Texas Tech fan?

Adam Hernandez

11 years ago

UPDATE: It was announced that Smart will receive a three-game suspension. He’s extremely lucky.

UPDATE: Now it’s being speculated that Orr told Smart to “go back to _____”

https://twitter.com/fox4sports/statuses/432401135324762112

Sunday the internet was abuzz after Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart – a suspected NBA lottery pick this upcoming draft – shoved a Texas Tech fan at the end of last night’s game. The fan who Smart shoved though goes by the name of Jeff Orr who’s a pretty well known heckler that apparently attends most if not all Red Raider games. He’s also apparently so well known and notorious that former Baylor Bear and Oklahoma State Cowboy John Lucas III (who currently plays for the Jazz) still remembers him:

I just saw the video that same fan was at the games talking crazy even when I was in school I don't forget a face he says a lot of crazy ish

— John Lucas III (@Luke1luk) February 9, 2014

Orr was also featured on the Texas Tech website where he described his fanaticism over the team.

Is Orr crazy? No, he’s a perfectly normal Red Raider who happens to really, really love his basketball team. His response to the “crazy” question: “I agree with them, I guess. This is my hobby. I don’t hunt, fish, golf or any other normal guy activities. I just sort of follow the team around.”

But what set Smart off last night so much so that he shoved Orr? Was it simply the matter of a frustrated immature college player that let his emotions get the best of him or something more?

According to OSU radio analyst John Holcomb, Orr apparently called Smart the N-word after hearing the player say such in the moments after. Desmond Mason, a former player for Oklahoma State also said that he was called the N-word whenever he played in Lubbock:

https://twitter.com/dmasonart/statuses/432413911946493952

CBS’s Doug Gottlieb also posted a text message on Twitter between Orr and another fan where that indicated Orr saying something he shouldn’t have but that it wasn’t the N-word.

https://twitter.com/GottliebShow/status/432395633962405890

A couple of things about this really stand out. First I personally find it pretty pathetic (racial slur or not) that someone who appears to be in his 40’s or 50’s heckling a college player. Second though that doesn’t give Smart the right to put his hands on the heckler, again racial slur or not.

At this point the punishment hasn’t been made public but you can sure bet the question doesn’t reside with if but how many games Smart will miss.