Vicki Ray can depend the variety of Denver Nuggets video games she’s missed since she first sat within the nosebleeds at McNichols Sports activities Area 32 years in the past.
There have been two video games in 2005 when her mom died and the 4 in 2022 after Ray had a stroke. One when she was snowed in at her Lone Tree residence and all of the video games closed to followers through the coronavirus pandemic.
After which there are the 14 video games she’s missed since Kroenke Sports activities & Leisure officers revoked her floor-level season tickets over claims she violated NBA and enviornment guidelines for contact with gamers and referees.
Ray, 72, mentioned the altercations didn’t occur and theorized the corporate revoked her tickets for different causes.
“My first response was any individual desires my seats, as a result of I’ve had these seats the entire time the world has been open,” Ray mentioned in an interview with the Denver Put up this week.
In an announcement, Kroenke officers mentioned the tickets had been revoked “because of repeated violations and warnings of the NBA’s Code of Conduct in addition to Ball Area’s Code of Conduct.”
The corporate’s assertion cited “undesirable contact with contributors” that continued “even after repeated warnings.”
“We’re saddened to take this motion however have finished so in accordance with league and venue pointers,” Kroenke officers mentioned in an announcement.
Kroenke officers declined to reply additional questions on revoking Ray’s tickets. The Nationwide Basketball Referees Affiliation and Nationwide Basketball Gamers Affiliation didn’t reply to requests for remark.
The primary time Ray heard of any issues was Feb. 2, when two safety guards approached her after the sport and mentioned she had grabbed a referee, who pushed her away and mentioned “No.”
On Feb. 4, enviornment officers advised her a participant reported she hit him within the face. Ray mentioned she solely ever holds her hand out for gamers as they’re coming and leaving the world, and it’s their selection to present her a high-five.
The telephone name revoking her season tickets got here on Feb. 13, two days after she had put a deposit down for the subsequent season.
It was a shock to Ray, who feels as shut as household to the Nuggets group.
Her sitting room is lined with cabinets of Nuggets memorabilia – dozens of signed Nikes, numerous photos of her posing with gamers and celebrities at video games, get-well posters despatched by the group after she had her stroke and a teddy bear and birthday card despatched by Marcus Camby.
Ray mentioned she’s contemplating authorized motion however declined to supply the title of her legal professional. She’ll have the ability to apply for season ticket membership once more subsequent yr, however that’s no assure she’ll get in, she mentioned.
“I simply need my seats,” she mentioned. “I need to be there.”
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