EDITORIAL: Think a fan running onto the Spurs court is funny? It's potentially dangerous.

In April 1993, 19-year-old Monica Seles was the top-ranked women's tennis player in the world.

But during a match in Germany, an obsessed fan ran out onto the court and stabbed her in the back. Before he could stab her a second time, he was subdued by security.

The knife came perilously close to Seles' lungs, spinal cord and other major organs, but she needed only a few stitches to close the wound. She was fortunate to have survived, but her career was never the same, and she would never regain the No. 1 ranking.

The teenager who ran onto the court Wednesday night during the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks meant no harm and was holding a camera to take a selfie with Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.

But that's no excuse for a stupid and selfish stunt, and the NBA was right to ban him for life from NBA arenas. Another person involved with this stunt received a similar ban.

To those who think the lifetime ban is excessive, what other consequences does he face? He got his selfie, although his camera was too low and the photo doesn't include the face of Wembanyama. His name wasn't released because he was a minor, but his face was seen on TV by millions of people, so in the fleeting world of social media he will gain some notoriety. And then what?

Fans have a right to boo and cheer at sporting events, but they don't have the right to interrupt a game, rush onto a field or court or raise fears they may intend to harm an athlete.

Once Wembanyama figured out what was happening, he smiled, but it's easy to see the potential for harm.

The fan created a goofy, viral moment, which some people find funny. There would be no laughter and the world would be reeling if the fan had a knife instead of a phone.

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