What happened to the fan who died during Sacramento Kings vs New Orleans Pelicans?

While we can assume that the Kings will be disappointed with the result they got at home, one also has to imagine that it will be made all the more sad by the fact that a fan lost their life during the game itself.

Fan dies during Kings vs Pelicans

According to reports, a fan died at the Golden 1 Center during the Sacramento Kings’ 127-117 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night in the quarterfinals of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament. As per the Kings, the fan in question suffered a medical emergency and was not involved in any larger situation. You can see the Kings’ full statement below:

“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.”

Do we know anything else about the Kings fan who died?

An initial report on the incident was made by local Sacramento television station FOX 40 which reported that the man was in his 30s and was unresponsive when paramedics arrived. Following extensive efforts by EMS who performed CPR on the man for more than 20 minutes, he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. It is understood that the man had attended the game with a family member.

Incidentally, the situation did not result in a delay in the game itself, with the man’s death only being publicly announced during the fourth quarter of the game, however, it was acknowledged post-game by Kings forward Keegan Murray. “As a team, we give our condolences,” he said. “Hopefully, the family is being taken care of.” As for the Kings, they will now return to regular season play having been eliminated from the NBA’s In-Season Tournament. Their next opponent will be the loser of Tuesday night’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns which is scheduled for December 8th.