A YouTube prankster has been barred from ever attending another NBA game after he pretended to nap courtside at a WNBA game and was tossed from the arena.
JiDion, who has 8 million followers on his YouTube channel, posted a 15-minute video where he pretended to fall asleep at a basketball game.
To make his point, he chose a WNBA game in which the Los Angeles Sparks were playing.
JiDion’s juvenile antics were filmed from across the court and see him putting on a nightcap and pajamas before placing a pillow behind his head and covering himself with a blanket as he pretended to nap courtside.
Initially, someone associated with one of the teams told him not to sleep.
‘Now I’ve asked you not to do this, and here’s your warning,’ the unnamed official said, suggesting that he go elsewhere if he wanted to catch some shuteye, but JiDion was relentless in his pursuit of some nap time.
Prankster YouTuber JiDion has been banned from all NBA-related events after his attempted to sleep on courtside seats during a Los Angeles Sparks Wnba game
JiDion has a history of getting into trouble during such Sporting Events Including being thrown out of the US Open for getting a haircut while the game was played
After draping himself in a blanket, the prankster then stretched out across three empty seats
A representative, in red, from one of the teams suggested JiDion went elsewhere if he wanted to sleep
JiDion continued to chant while holding a pillow in his hand while the game was in progress
An official with one of the teams became increasingly irritated by JiDion’s behavior
After being given a warning by security, JiDion stated he has a medical condition that requires him to sleep.
‘Kind of weird to watch another man sleep,’ he said. ‘Sleep at home’, the official tells him. ‘I’ve got somewhere upstairs you can lie down.’
‘I’ve got sleep apnea, I don’t know what to tell you. I can’t control it,’ JiDion added. ‘Are you not sleepy too? I’ve got an extra headrest,’ he jokes. ‘This is the best area. My doctor recommended it.’
Other spectators had mixed reactions with some laughing at his stunt while another couple appeared to look on with disdain.
He then stretched himself out across three empty front row seats and could be heard pretending to snore until finally police were called to address the situation.
An officer told him that he could either go ‘the easy way or the hard way.’
JiDion was then led up the stairs and taken outside out of the arena where police took his photo and told him that he would no longer be allowed to attend any future ‘NBA-related events’.
‘You are not allowed on the premises’, security could be heard telling him.
Police soon arrived and told him he could go ‘the easy way or the hard way’
JiDion ended the entire segment by pretending that it had all been a dream
YouTube prankster JiDion in photos from his Instagram page. Hawking merchandise some find demeaning to the WNBA
YouTube prankster JiDion is seen getting a haircut gets a haircut courtside in March 2022. He was not thrown out on that occasion
In a final scene, JiDion framed the entire prank as a dream with the video showing him waking up in his own bed from a deep sleep, in which he claimed to have dreamt about being barred from WNBA games.
The NBA has not publicly commented on the matter.
Part of JiDion’s brand is to get kicked out of sporting events such as this.
In the past, he has been kicked out of the U.S. Open tennis tournament for getting a haircut in the stadium while the game was being played.
In another NBA game in March 2022 he was allowed to stay while having his head shaved whilst sitting in arena seats.
