NBA Issuing Fans 'Verbal Abuse' Warning Cards?

In recent years the NBA has stepped up its policing of mischievous players, and now an image circulating online appears to indicate that it is doing the same thing with fans.

A photo of a fan holding a red warning card popped up on Reddit this week. Although the origin of the photo is unclear, some have speculated that it is from Wednesday's game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons.

As Ben Sin writes on SI.com, that game marked Brandon Jennings' return to Milwaukee. And it wouldn't be terribly surprising if Bucks fans gave Jennings an earful.

Here's the card:

It reads:

"You are being issued a warning that the comments, gestures and/or behaviors that you have directed at players, coaches, game officials and/or other spectators constitute excessive verbal abuse and are in violation of the NBA Fan Code of Conduct. This is the first and only warning that you will receive. If, after receiving this warning, you verbally abuse any player, coach, game official or spectator, you will be immediately rejected from the arena without refund."

The NBA responded via Twitter, noting that this policy has been in existence since 2005.

NBA Senior Vice President for Basketball Communications Tim Frank dismissed the issue in a note to CBS.

“… I wouldn’t even waste your time on a story … old news."

(H/T to Larry Brown Sports)