Sacramento Kings, Rapper E-40 say ‘misunderstanding’ led to his playoff game ejection
The Sacramento Kings and Bay Area rapper E-40, who alleged racial bias was a factor in his ejection by security from Saturday’s NBA playoff game against the Golden State Warriors, announced on Wednesday there was “a miscommunication regarding the circumstances.”
Earl “E-40” Stevens’ ejection from the game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento reportedly stemmed from the hip-hop artist, a prominent Bay Area sports superfan who was sitting courtside, spending too much time on his feet.
Videos posted to social media showed E-40 being removed by security personnel during the fourth quarter of the Kings’ 126-123 win against the Warriors. Stevens, who is Black, said in a statement to reporters that he was approached by Kings security after addressing a heckler, a white woman, “in an assertive but polite manner.”
“Security saw a disagreement between a Black man and a white woman and immediately assumed that I was at fault,” Stevens said in the statement, writing that he was “absolutely humiliated by the Kings’ security team.”
The Associated Press reported that the rapper’s ejection came following other spectators’ complaints of “excessive standing,” and cited conflicting accounts from anonymous sources, one saying Stevens was given multiple warnings by security before his ejection and the other saying he was not warned at all.
In a joint-statement released by Stevens and the Kings organization, they said that both sides agreed, “a series of thoughtful and transparent conversations,” there was a “miscommunication regarding the circumstances” that occurred during the game that 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 statement read.
The Kings organization said it would continue “to equitably enforce” the NBA Fan Code of Conduct to ensure fans 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,” the statement read. “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.”
This story was originally published April 19, 2023 at 6:18 PM.
