Bay Area rapper E-40, a noted Golden State Warriors fan, was ejected from Saturday’s NBA Playoffs game between the Warriors and Sacramento Kings. He would later claim that “racial bias” was what led to his removal from the arena.
According to the hip-hop legend, whose real name is Early Stevens, he said that he was “subjected to disrespectful heckling” throughout the game. During the fourth quarter he “turned around and addressed one heckler in an assertive but polite manner.”
After that, “Kings security approached me, assumed I instigated the encounter and proceeded to kick me out of the arena,” adding that “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.”
Video of the rapper’s confrontation with security was shared on social media as well.
E-40 is a prominent fan of the Warriors, often sitting next to the team bench. He also joined the team at the White House this year to celebrate last season’s NBA title.
It’s an unfortunate look and we’ll see if the Kings or arena security releases a statement to provide their side of the story.
[ESPN]
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.