The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers met in a heated battle on the court. It was a match to remember, especially when Russell Westbrook was fouled in overtime. As he lurched forward, he came crashing down on top of a camerawoman. The camerawoman, whose name has not been revealed, got her leg stuck underneath Westbrook’s body, and it took several people to lift him off her.
The event caused quite a stir among those in attendance. Fans and players alike were dismayed by the situation. Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon was seen trying to make sure both Westbrook and camerawoman were okay. While the camerawoman was not severely injured, the incident could have been a nightmare for the NBA.
To start off, the incident highlighted the lack of protection for camera personnel. The camerawoman was not provided with any padding or other safety equipment. Even though she was able to get out of the situation unscathed, it could have ended differently. Some people feel that Russell Westbrook almost broke the camerawoman’s leg, albeit unintentionally.
If you look closely here you can see the camerawoman’s leg was bent completely the wrong way under Westbrook’s body. She got lucky that it was broken, considering how much he weighs.
This incident was just one of a few in a game that was full of unexpected surprises involving camera personnel. We saw Pat Bev take a camera to show a referee a missed foul call, and we saw Westbrook almost take out a camerawoman’s leg unintentionally. After all that the Lakers still lost.