Devlin Carter, a Sacramento Kings season ticket holder, was ejected from Golden 1 Center on Wednesday night following a verbal altercation with guard Zach LaVine, sparking debate about player-fan interactions amid the team’s disappointing start to the season.
The incident occurred during the Kings’ 124-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns, a defeat that dropped Sacramento’s record to 5-14.
According to witnesses and video footage circulating on social media, Carter—seated near the Kings’ bench—heckled LaVine during a timeout, shouting at the All-Star guard to “play some defense.”
LaVine, who has faced criticism for his defensive effort throughout his career, reportedly turned to Carter and responded, “Go home, b—-,” before alerting arena security. Carter was subsequently escorted out of the venue.
Carter later expressed frustration with the organization’s handling of the situation. In a statement shared on social media, he claimed the ejection was an “unfair treatment” of a paying customer voicing legitimate basketball-related frustrations.
“I pay a significant amount of money to support this team,” Carter stated. “Telling a player to play defense—especially when the team is down by double digits—should not be grounds for ejection. It wasn’t personal; it was about the game.”
The altercation highlights the mounting tension within the Kings organization. Acquired to bolster Sacramento’s playoff hopes, LaVine has struggled to mesh with the roster. Reports indicate he has been benched in the fourth quarter of recent games by the coaching staff due to defensive liabilities, fueling speculation about his future with the franchise.
Following the game, LaVine appeared visibly frustrated during his media availability but did not address the specific exchange with Carter in detail.
“You guys can say all you want to about effort,” LaVine told reporters when asked about the team’s defensive struggles. “We play as hard as we can. We’re in here exhausted, so I don’t know.”
The Kings organization has not officially commented on the ejection or whether Carter will face further bans. The NBA’s fan code of conduct prohibits “abusive language” or behavior that interferes with the game, but the line between standard heckling and abusive conduct remains a frequent point of contention in the league.
The Kings, currently sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, host the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
