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Lil Wayne does not take rejection lightly.
After a snafu in which the Grammy-winning rapper was denied tickets for Thursday’s Oklahoma City Thunder game, he said he felt “unwanted” at the NBA team’s arena, and suggested race played into his not getting seats.
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Although several of the team’s players offered Wayne tickets to Saturday’s playoff game, the rapper declined the offers.
“That’s not the point,” he told The Associated Press Friday. “It’s the players stepping up but of course the players aren’t white. I don’t want to be sitting there on behalf of you and I’m sitting next to a (person) that’s like ‘I don’t want this (guy) sitting next to me.’ (Forget) you … I’m in Forbes.”
The NBA team said Wayne was not given tickets because he insisted on sitting in the front row, which was sold out. The Thunder were playing the San Antonio Spurs in a playoff game.
Wayne said he enjoyed going to NBA games to pump up players on their home courts, and did so at other arenas.
“That’s like me going on stage and … seeing LeBron (James) in the crowd with his hand up. I’m going to perform a little bit harder,” he said.
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After the mix-up, Wayne said a manager advised him not to attend future events in the city’s arena, but Kevin Durant, one of the Thunder players who offered Wayne tickets for Saturday’s game, has hopes the rapper will return someday.
“We’d have loved to have him here in Oklahoma City,” Durant said. “We’d have welcomed him with open arms. Hopefully, we get past that and next time he can come and enjoy a game.”
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