Purple Shirt Man Came Forward To Defend His Ridiculous Court-Side Antics

Dwyane Wade, Purple Shirt Man
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You know how we feel about Purple Shirt Man by now. Hopefully, you feel the same way. Despite fueling Dwyane Wade’s throwback crunch-time performance and thereby negatively affecting the Charlotte Hornets, though, the playoffs’ most infamous fan – shocker! – elected against straying from the limelight.

When reached by Théoden James of The Charlotte Observer, Purple Shirt Man, née Michael Deason, insisted he “didn’t lose the game” for the Hornets on Friday night.

“No, I didn’t lose the game for them last night,” said Michael Deason, 43, the owner of that courtside seat. “Hell, did I win the game for them in Game 3 and 4? Because I was cheering a hell of a lot louder in Game 3 and 4.”

Nevermind that Heat rookie Josh Richardson told The Observer after the game that “it’s better not to wake a sleeping giant.” No matter that Wade referenced Deason’s quips about retirement directly during his post-game chat with reporters, either.

Deason is just there to rankle feathers of opposing players, he says, and his experience playing basketball makes him worthy of that (wholly unnecessary and clearly debilitating) task.

“I played basketball. I understand the game, so I point out fundamentals to them and just stupid stuff,” Deason explained. And he realizes what the effect is – or, at least, what the intended effect is. “It’d be like if someone called up and tried to tell you how to be a reporter or a journalist, when they wrote in the school newspaper. It would piss you off. And that’s all I’m trying to do.”

The Hornets’ season will be over if they lose to the Heat on Sunday. And whether Steve Clifford’s team has Purple Shirt Man to thank for Game 7 or not, he clearly won’t be changing his overly antagonistic approach to interacting with opposing players going forward.

What a true fan!

(The Charlotte Observer)

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