Kevin Durant apologizes profusely after hitting well-known fan with ball

    Kevin Kaduk

    Kevin Durant was warming up before Golden State’s big win over Boston on Saturday night when he experienced a momentary lapse in judgment. For some reason, the Warriors forward hit a loose ball high into the air like he was a volleyball player and the ball eventually plummeted into a crowded section of Oracle Arena.

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    Not good:


    When the ball finally came down, it hit an older fan who needed medical attention. After learning what he’d done, Durant quickly made his way over to the fan and apologized profusely.

    Of course, because this is Oracle Arena and the Warriors are the biggest show in sports, the fan wasn’t any regular Joe Six Pack. ESPN’s Marc Spears reports the fan in question was Joseph Franzia.

    Not only is Franzia a 75-year-old Marine veteran with three Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star from his service in Vietnam, he’s also a member of the famed Franzia wine family. Though the Franzias sold off their boxed wine operation over 40 years ago, they now own Bronco Wine Company, the fourth-largest wine company in the United States.

    We’ll put it this way: If you’ve ever consumed a bottle of Two-Buck Chuck from Trader Joe’s, you’ve had Franzia’s wine.

    The good news is that Franzia felt better after some ice and Durant invited him to the locker room after the game, where he presented Franzia with a signed pair of shoes.

    Franzia, in turn, invited Durant out to the vinyards in the future to share a glass of wine.

    No, it wasn’t the best way for KD to start a friendship, but it sounds like all’s well that ends well.


     

    Joseph Franzia needed some ice after being hit with a ball from Kevin Durant (ESPN screencap/Getty Images)

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