This game has everything, including Mitt Romney taunting Westbrook lol pic.twitter.com/dGmu2v9RFy — Rob Perez (@World_Wide_Wob) April 24, 2018
Things are getting chippier by the moment in the NBA playoff series between the Jazz and Thunder, a rather typical development with so much on the line in the playoffs. But who knew that one of the biggest dispensers of chip would be one Willard Mitt Romney?
That’s right, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate and Utah senatorial hopeful was courtside Monday night, wearing a Romney No. 5 jersey over his blue-stripe, button-down dress shirt. With 1:36 left in the second quarter, Russell Westbrook bulldozed Ricky Rubio, drawing his fourth foul, and Romney let Westbrook have it, both verbally and gesturally. Mitt, we hardly knew ye.
Just in case the moment was lost on Westbrook, Romney helpfully held up four fingers and mouthed the word “four.” The Jazz went on to beat the Thunder, 113-96, for a 3-1 lead in the playoff series.
[NBA playoffs: Jazz boots Thunder to the brink in a testy win; Rockets’ 50-point quarter fuels rout]
Never forget that Romney once was the governor of Massachusetts, where an NBA team has played to some acclaim, and he knows that gunning for Westbrook might win him some votes in his bid to represent the state in the U.S. Senate. If it worked for him in the Bay State, why not in Utah, where he successfully led the Olympic Games in 2002?
All politics is local. pic.twitter.com/9wV8woQYqL — Don Van Natta Jr. (@DVNJr) April 24, 2018
All in all, the Internet was rather amused by Romney’s trash-talking game and a spokeswoman for the former governor told The Post in an email that there would be no comment on the matter.
Could you imagine losing a playground diss match to Mitt Romney? — Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike (@Mike_77Martinez) April 24, 2018
"Hey Mitt, hold up four fingers toward Westbrook!"
Mitt: "Okay, but I don't know what that means. When does the Cricket
match begin?" — Jason A. Williams (@J_Williams79) April 24, 2018
I wish the Jersey was over a full three piece suit and he was wearing a monocle. — Michael Shockley (@mickeymichigan) April 24, 2018
Former Celtics fan MItt Romney taunts reigning NBA MVP Russell Westbrook at Jazz game https://t.co/5m4yXLTSRs pic.twitter.com/F34wYN6nA9 — WBZ | CBS Boston News (@wbz) April 24, 2018
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