Auburn's Johni Broome Smacks Away Morgan Freeman's Hand In Awkward Courtside Exchange

Imagine being a college hooper and getting your jersey tugged by a court-side viewer. Now imagine swiping at their hand, only to realize that fan is legendary actor Morgan Freeman.

Ashamed to the high heavens, Auburn Tigers (18-4) big man Johni Broome had this unfortunate exchange with The Freeman. Auburn (No. 16) and Broome nabbed a conference win over Ole Miss (18-4) Saturday, engineering a strong second-half effort for the victory, 91-77.

The Oscar-winning actor did appear to grab at Broome's jersey as the ball player backed into the court-side seats. Freeman held firmly and Broome's swipe did have some juice to it.

You be the judge: was Broome's initial reaction appropriate? Sound off: alejandro.avila@outkick.com.

WATCH:

The run-in appeared chippy at first. Broome quickly came to his senses, following up the small swipe with an apology.

Broome commented on the exchange after the game, "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.'"

Aside from the awkward encounter with Freeman, Broome gave a performance to remember. The junior forward nearly recorded a triple-double: tallying 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

For a moment there, Morgan Freeman was Driving Broome Crazy.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 06: Morgan Freeman attends the American Film Institute's 47th Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute to Denzel Washington at Dolby Theatre on June 06, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

AUBURN, ALABAMA - JANUARY 31: Johni Broome #4 of the Auburn Tigers warms up prior to their game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Neville Arena on January 31, 2024 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)