Last Saturday, game one of the first-round playoff matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings broke a ratings record that stood for over two decades. According to reports, 6.26 million viewers tuned in as the 2022 NBA Champions embarked on the first chapter of their title defense on the road at the Golden 1 Center in California's state capital. The home crowd in Sacramento reminded NBA fans worldwide why they were once considered amongst the loudest and most passionate fanbases in the league during the Chris Webber-Peja Stojaković era of the early 2000s. Back then, Kings fans famously trolled the likes of their team's famous nemeses from the dynastic Los Angeles Lakers teams, such as Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Now that the Warriors are the new heavyweights of the Pacific Divison in the Western Conference, the Kings, and their fans have a new interstate rival. That notion was on full display in game 1 of the Warriors vs. Kings playoff series, as video clips of a fan heckling Warriors General Manager Bob Meyers with a cowbell have already gone viral, along with footage of Bay Area rap legend E-40 (aka Earl Stevens) being ejected from a game by security. The incident involving E-40 led to an investigation by the Sacramento Kings after E-40 claimed he was booted out of the arena due to "racial bias." The Sacramento Kings front office alleged that the disciplinary action regarding E-40 was due to him standing excessively and blocking the view of the other fans in his vicinity. Fortunately, E-40 and other Sacramento Kings have mended the fence.
Today, both sides released the following joint statement regarding the nature of the incident, in the heat of an intense playoff battle, before citing their desire to resume what has been a positive experience in the past encounters at league events:
"After a series of thoughtful and transparent conversations, both parties agree that there was a miscommunication regarding the circumstances that occurred during the Kings vs. Warriors game on Saturday night.
Contrary to speculation, Mr. Earl "E-40" Stevens did not stand excessively from his ticketed courtside seat; the outcome resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding between both parties.
The Kings will continue to equitably enforce the NBA Fan Code of Conduct to ensure guests can comfortably enjoy games free of disrespectful heckling and other disruptive conduct. The organization has been a longtime leader in promoting social justice and racial equality with a track record of measurable results and community impacts.
Mr. Stevens has previously attended games at Golden 1 Center without incident, and the Kings look forward to welcoming him back to our arena in the future."
The Golden State Warriors will host game 3 of their first-round series against the Sacramento Kings tonight at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Source: CBS News
