There are few who would argue that 72-year-old Vicki Ray is atop the list of the most recognizable Nuggets fans. Loving the Nuggets in rain or shine seasons for 32 years as a season ticket holder and missing, she says, only seven games outside of COVID, Ray has held a most coveted spot in Ball Arena.
She’s been right along the rail of the walkway the Nuggets use to take the court.
“I’ve had these same seats for 25 years that the arena’s been open. And on the other arena, they made me two seats on the floor where the players came out.”
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She would greet them and hug them and thank the referees and offer players candy.
In her home is a shrine of sorts of basketball memorabilia, with notes from players and sneakers and photos.
Among them, condolences when her husband, who attended games with her passed away and get well messages when Ray survived a stroke.
But this season, things have been uncomfortable.
Early on, Ray was told the signs she brought would no longer would no longer be allowed. She was told she would not be allowed in early before games or be allowed to stay after when the players came out to greet family and friends.
Then in February she says, security told her she had grabbed a referee.
“And he pushed me away and said, ‘no.’ Which I knew was not true. And I said I did not do that,” Ray claims.
Then there was another allegation she says.
“The team wanted them to tell me that a player said ‘Vicki hit me in the face. Which is near impossible,'” she explained, explaining that her hand would be far below the players’ faces.
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She says she was accused of passing notes to referees against the rules.
“Well I did that,” she admitted. “OK. But I passed a note to the refs every game for 25 years. Christmas cards, birthday cards, everything.”
In the middle of February, she says she was called and informed she was being banned.
“I don’t deserve to be treated like this,” she said.
Kroenke Sports and Entertainment declined an on-camera interview to address questions about Ray’s removal, or her allegations about her treatment, but Jim Mulvihill, director of marketing and communications, released a statement via email saying:
“We have made the difficult decision to revoke the Season Ticket Membership of a longtime fan due to repeated violations and warnings of the NBA’s Code of Conduct as well as Ball Arena’s Code of Conduct. We are saddened to take this action but have done so in accordance with league and venue guidelines.”
Ray says her attorney has asked Kroenke Sports and Entertainment for proof, noting that the questionable actions must have been recorded with cameras all over the arena. She says they have not replied, however on Saturday, KSE said that it did respond to the lawyers’ request for proof with both video and written evidence. KSE says it has not received a response since providing it.
“I have a hard time believing that the Kroenkes are behind it,” says Ray. “They’ve always been super nice to me.”
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Being banned from the arena for Nuggets games means she surrenders the four seats she bought for $20,000.
“My lawyer seems to think that it probably has to do with the tickets and they can sell them for more,” she says.
At this point, she just wants to see proof of what she is alleged to have done wrong.
“I doubt if I get my seats back and that’s going to kill me. But I just want people to know what happened… If I did anything wrong I don’t know about it and if I did, I would apologize,” She adds. “But I’m not given that opportunity.”