For sports reporters, angry reactions are part of the job. A critical story can bring an inbox full of complaints, an unpopular opinion can ignite an argument, and one bad take can snowball into a full-blown social media meltdown. But there’s a point where fan frustration crosses the line, and Celtics reporter Noa Dalzell experienced just that.
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Her message to NBA fans raised a troubling question about how far some supporters are willing to go when their favorite player or team is criticized.
“Guys, can we actually phase out death threats, please?” Dalzell wrote on her X platform. “Just went through my DMs and I’m ngl I’m a little scared lmao.
“And it only makes me wonder (worry about) what the DMs of players look like! How about an “I disagree with your take” instead? Or an “Your article is bad?” Plz.”
Reporters covering the NBA routinely operate in an environment where every opinion can attract scrutiny. They criticize players, question coaching decisions, analyze front-office moves, and sometimes drop assessments that directly stand against what a team’s supporters want to hear.
That is part of the job. But personal threats are not.
The problem has become more pronounced as social media has eliminated the distance between journalists and their audiences. A fan no longer has to wait to meet in person to respond.
And as the Celtics reporter mentioned, the problem can become even more intense for the players. NBA stars regularly deal with abusive messages following poor performances, controversial moments, or unexpected injuries.
Russell Westbrook was targeted by a Jazz fan with racist and derogatory comments in 2019, leading to a permanent arena ban. Chris Paul’s family faced another disturbing incident in Dallas in 2022, when fans allegedly harassed and made physical contact with them.
These incidents reveal how quickly fandoms can cross the line.
The rise of sports betting may have added a layer to the existing situation. A player misses a free throw; A team loses a game; A prop bet fails.
The anger can become personal.
Journalists face a different version of the same problem. Their criticism does not affect the scoreboard, yet fans can treat negative coverage as an attack on the player or team they support.
If players can face such hostility for what happens on the court, reporters like Dalzell can become targets simply for explaining what happened.
We know what happened in Dalzell’s DMs, but what prompted her to check DMs? That’s where Grant Afseth comes into the picture.
Before the Celtics reporter, Grant Afseth faced the heat
Dalzell’s comments came amid a broader conversation about reporter abuse after Grant Afseth detailed the threats he received following his coverage of the WNBA and Dallas Wings. Afseth’s reporting included analysis of rookie star Azzi Fudd. Being the No.1 pick, her performances naturally attracted a lot of attention.
The disagreement itself was nothing unusual. But he was forced to step away from his beat after receiving a graphic death threat from an online fan.
The severe hostility stemmed from his standard, data-driven analytical coverage of the Dallas Wings rookie. A toxic subsection of Fudd’s fanbase felt Afseth’s routine on-court basketball critiques and evaluations were too harsh.
It went to a point where digital media outlet Take Flight Media announced that Afseth would no longer cover the team. When asked about the harassment, Afseth stated, “I’ve covered plenty of star athletes, and this is the only instance this has happened.”
Moreover, the incident sparked widespread outrage across sports media. His managing editor Sara Jane Gamelli defended him, calling him “one of the few interested in covering the basketball aspect without any hidden agenda.”
In fact, hours before Dalzell checked her own DMs, she spoke out in support of Afseth.
“Genuinely, what compels people to send these kind of messages,” she questioned, supporting Afseth. “Are these people really walking among us??”
That’s also where Dalzell’s request comes in: disagree with the coverage, criticize the article, or argue the point. But once a fan threatens a reporter, the conversation is no longer about basketball.