Carmelo Anthony said he was "shocked" when he felt a child grasp his leg during the New York Knicks' loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
A young boy evaded security and slipped onto the court with ease as he made a beeline for Anthony in the final minute of the game.
Startled at first, the NBA star patted the boy on the head before he was ushered back to the stands by the referee.
"I was shocked. I didn't really know who it was until I actually looked over and saw that it was a kid."
The chief of arena security declined to comment and it was not immediately clear if the boy or his guardian were cited for the incident.
"I think it was because he was a little kid, they just let him go," Anthony said
"Definitely a security issue, though, for sure."
The boy ran back into the stands past an apparent female guardian, who embarrassingly directed him to the exit.
Newshub.