Sports

Florida Students Pack Arena To Join Basketball Coach In Mockery Of Charles Bediako Controversy

#Florida Gators
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Charles Bediako / Alabama Crimson Tide

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The Florida basketball team hosted SEC rival Alabama in conference play on Sunday. Students of the university packed the arena in support of the Gators.

Those onlookers took aim at a Crimson Tide player currently enthralled in controversy. Charles Bediako was in the crosshairs as fans brutally mocked their opponent from their seats.

Who is Charles Bediako?

The Alabama center previously played for the Crimson Tide in the ’21 and ’22 seasons. After his sophomore year, he left for the NBA.

Bediako, however, was not drafted. He eventually signed a two-way deal with the Spurs to become a professional player.

After being waived by the Spurs, Nuggets, and Pistons, he’s now gone back to college. He is one of a number of former pro players to be awarded eligibility.

An Alabama judge granted him a temporary restraining order allowing him to return to the Crimson Tide. He has played in three games this season.

In that time, he’s been effective. Bediako is averaging 13.5 points per contest while shooting 82% from the field. He is doing so while being ridiculed by opposing fans.

Florida basketball fans were ruthless.

They showed up to the gates early for the Top 25 matchup. They made their voices heard while mocking Charles Bediako.

This was Bediako’s first road game in his second stint with the Tide. The environment was on another level as fans echoed the attitude of head coach Todd Golden.

“They were able to finagle it where they got a judge that’s actually an Alabama donor to write a temporary restraining order,” he previously said in disgust of Bediako’s addition to the roster.

“I think there’s a lot of people not really happy about it and that don’t agree with it… We’re gonna beat them anyways. If he plays, we’ll beat them anyways.”

Florida’s basketball coach is clearly unhappy with the ruling. Students at the school took the opportunity to echo those feelings while mocking Bediako.