Mitt Romney heckled Russell Westbrook while sitting courtside at the Jazz-Thunder game - and the internet lost its mind

@World_Wide_Wob / Twitter

Former presidential nominee and aspiring Utah senator Mitt Romney was seen jeering courtside after Russell Westbrook picked up his fourth foul before halftime.

• Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney was seen courtside during Game 4 of the first round series between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder.
• Romney, who is running for senate in the state, was clad in a Jazz jersey over his dress shirt, and could be seen mocking Thunder superstar and reigning NBA MVP Russell Westbrook after he picked up his fourth foul of the game.
• Basketball fans on Twitter were quick to roast Romney for his outfit and make light of the surreal moment.

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The 2018 NBA Playoffs have already given basketball fans a remarkable first round, but Monday night's game between the Jazz and Thunder might have provided the unlikeliest highlight of the postseason yet, when former 2012 Republican presidential nominee and aspiring Utah senator, Mitt Romney, was seen heckling Russell Westbrook while sitting courtside.

The moment, straight from a Mad Libs fever dream, occurred just before halftime of Monday's matchup in Utah. In a game that could be affectionately described as "chippy," Westbrook was making sure that his presence was felt, but picking up fouls quickly in the process.

Down just one point with under two minutes left in the second quarter, Westbrook picked up his fourth foul, prompting his exit from the game for the time being and an eruption from the Utah crowd. After the whistle blew, the camera zoomed in on none other than former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who is hoping to represent the state in place of retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch.

Clad in a Jazz jersey draped over a tucked-in dress shirt, Romney smiled and held up four fingers, helpfully reminding Westbrook of the foul trouble he found himself in. 

Needless to say, Twitter was quick to jump on the surreal moment.

While Romney might not, at first glance, strike one as an obvious sports fan, he does have one credential to hang his hat on: in 2015, his March Madness bracket finished in the 99.9th percentile, including predicting the final three rounds of the tounrnament perfectly. In other words, he found himself among the top 0.1% of Americans, as far as March Madness was concerned.

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