At the Golden 1 Center, a person died during the first quarter of last night’s Sacramento Kings vs. New Orleans Pelicans basketball game. According to the Kings organization, around 7:25 p.m. on Monday a fan had a medical emergency. Keeping with first responder procedure, the Sacramento Fire Department and other personnel arrived at the scene.
“Golden 1 Center staff was notified that someone was unresponsive,” the Sacramento Fire Department said. “When the engine got there they found a 30’s aged male.”
FOX 40 of Sacramento reported that the man was unresponsive when paramedics arrived. As such, EMS performed CPR for over 30 minutes. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. At the time, he was at the game with a family member.
As of press time, neither the fan nor his family member have been identified. The scene did not cause the game to stop, and the man’s death was made public midway through the fourth quarter.
The Kings’ statement was brief: “During the first quarter of the Kings vs. Pelicans game, a guest had a medical emergency. EMS immediately responded and administered CPR. Tragically, these efforts were unsuccessful and the guest passed away. The organization offers its deepest condolences to the guest's family and loved ones.”
Kings forward Keegan Murray spoke to media after their 127-117 loss to the Pelicans. He said that the team wasn’t made aware until the announcement, as the death was announced over the PA system.
"As a team, we give our condolences," Murray said. "Hopefully, the family is being taken care of."
The Sportsville team expresses our deepest regret for the loss of this fan and prays for the family and friends. We hope that they can find peace in the coming weeks.