Auburn Forward Johni Broome had a regrettable but hilarious interaction with a fan on the sidelines of his Tigers’ recent contest with the Ole Miss Rebels – the fan was iconic actor Morgan Freeman.
At one point, Broome had tried to make a save of the basketball along the sidelines and as he launched the ball, fell back ever so slightly into a pair of fans. Both the man and the woman put a hand up to keep him from falling into their laps.
The man, however, gave a playful tug to Broome’s jersey. And the second-team ALL-SEC player slapped his hand away before realizing what he had done.
The body language of instant regret was simply comical.
Johni Broome thinks a fan is trying to grab him, smacks their hand away, then realizes it's Morgan Freeman 😂😂😳 pic.twitter.com/7buLKBdZo6
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 4, 2024
A Big Morgan Freeman Slaps Away … Morgan Freeman
Not only did Johni Broome get humbled into an immediate apology, but he was so horrified about what had taken place that he came back out and apologized again.
“I thought it was an Ole Miss fan grabbing my jersey, holding on to me,” Broome told reporters after the game. “I kind of got his hand off. I saw who it was, and I’m a big movie guy. I probably watched one of his movies on the plane coming here.”
“But I realized it was him and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m a big fan. I’m sorry.’ He said, ‘Just keep playing.’”
Johni Broome on smacking Morgan Freeman’s hand: "I thought it was an Ole Miss fan grabbing my jersey & holding onto me. I saw who it was & I’m a big movie guy…I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm a big fan. I'm sorry.'"
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 4, 2024
Via @CBSSportsCBB pic.twitter.com/gYLI5mGvMV
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Broome came over to Freeman, who is a huge Rebels mark, a second time saying, “I’m sorry, again.”
The Auburn forward revealed The Shawshank Redemption actor’s reaction: “He said, ‘You all good. Just keep playing.’ He’s a very good guy. Love him.”
Freeman, being the gracious man that he is, accepted the apology with a smile and a handshake on the court.
Broome is averaging 15.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game for the 16th-ranked Tigers. Freeman meanwhile, has 1.0 Academy Awards, 2.0 Golden Globe Awards, and 2.0 Screen Actor Guilds Awards.
Together, well, I’m not sure what that adds up to on the court. But this past Saturday it all added up to comedy gold.
