It’s been a long time since the Sacramento Kings hosted a playoff game and some fans allegedly didn’t know how to act.
On Sunday, legendary Bay Area hip-hop artist E-40 said in a statement that “racial bias” played a role in his removal from Saturday’s game. Claiming that he was heckled to the point that he felt he needed to address it in an “assertive but polite manner” before being removed by Kings security midway through the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately, it was yet another reminder that – despite my success and accolades as a musician and entrepreneur – racial bias remains prevalent. Security saw a disagreement between a Black man and a white woman and immediately assumed that I was at fault. … I was absolutely humiliated by the Kings’ security team and I’m calling on the franchise to investigate the appalling conduct that transpired.
Statement from the Kings on E-40: “The Sacramento Kings take these claims seriously and are investigating the facts and circumstances regarding the situation, as we do anytime an accusation like this is made.” https://t.co/5PUB9eF016
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 16, 2023
In a corresponding statement from the Kings’ organization, the team says that it “takes these claims seriously” and is “investigating the facts and circumstances regarding the situation.”
Sacramento took Game 1, 126-123, over the defending world champion Golden State Warriors.