Auburn’s Johni Broome met one of his favorite movie stars—and apologized to Morgan Freeman for how it happened.
Broome, who scored 15 points in the Tigers’ 91-77 win over Mississippi on Saturday night, attempted to stop a ball from falling out of bounds in the second half when someone in the front row grabbed his shirt.
Broome brushed away the person’s arm, believing it was an Ole Miss fan attempting to rattle him.
It turned out to be Freeman, an Academy Award-winning actor who is a huge Mississippi Rebels fan and attends many of their games.
“I kind of got his hand off,” Broome told journalists. “I recognized who it was, because I’m a huge movie fan. I probably saw one of his films on the plane ride here.
“But when I discovered it was him, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m a huge admirer. I apologize. He said, “Just keep playing.”
Broome returned to Freeman throughout the game after calling a personal foul on himself.
“I’m just like, ‘I’m sorry, again,'” Broome explained. “He said, ‘You’re good. Just keep playing. He’s a very nice guy. “I love him.”
Broome and his Auburn teammates overcame a 13-point hole in the first half with a dominant second half to defeat Freeman’s favorite team. The Tigers improved to 18-4 overall and 7-2 in the Southeastern Conference, while the Rebels fell to 18-4 and 5-4 in conference play.