Georges Niang felt the eyes staring at him. He felt the gawks, and the silence, wondering why he was dressed the way he was.
The Utah Jazz power forward exited his car on Friday night and walked to his apartment in a haze. One moment, he was in the locker room following a win, smiling, laughing, preparing for a shower and a change into regular clothing. The next, he was leaving Vivint Smart Home Arena in a rush after a suspicious package was found, forcing an evacuation following a 113-109 win over the Golden State Warriors.
Niang exited in a haste, the fear of the unknown supplying a sense of urgency. He was still wearing his purple game uniform. He hadn’t showered. He didn’t have the change of clothes he came to the arena with. He barely had time to dry off from the game.
“It felt like Halloween and I was in a costume,” Niang told The Athletic on Friday night. “It was surreal, but as soon as they told us that we had to get out…
