Why Kings fans aren't allowed to bring cowbells into Chase Center for Game 3 vs. Warriors

Scott Rafferty

•
Why Kings fans aren't allowed to bring cowbells into Chase Center for Game 3 vs. Warriors image

Sorry, Kings fans. You'll have to leave your cowbells at home.

After two games in Sacramento, the first-round series between the Kings and Warriors shifts to Golden State.

With Sacramento being in close proximity to San Francisco, there will likely be thousands of Kings fans at Games 3 and 4. Unfortunately for them, they won't be allowed to bring cowbells into the Chase Center.

The Kings tweeted ahead of the Game 3 that cowbells aren't permitted in Golden State's arena. Any fan that does bring a cowbell will have to check and retrieve it at the end of the game.

🚨 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫:

Cowbells will not be permitted at Chase Center. Any fan carrying a cowbell will be directed to the outdoor bag check location, where they can check their cowbell and retrieve at the conclusion of the game.

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) April 19, 2023

This isn't in response to a Kings fan aggressively ringing a cowbell behind Warriors general manager Bob Myers at Game 2. It would be quite funny if it was, but "noise-making devices" are on the prohibited items list for the Chase Center.

That includes air horns, whistles, drums and, of course, cowbells.

Noise-making devices are also prohibited at the Golden 1 Center, where the Kings play their home games, but cowbells are excluded from that list for Kings games only.

MORE: Key stats to know about Warriors without Draymond Green

Why do the Kings have cowbells?

The short version is that former Lakers head coach Phil Jackson once called Sacramento a "cow town" and Kings fans "semi-civilized."

Kings fans responded by bringing cowbells to home games and ringing them incessantly, turning them into one of the loudest fan bases in the league.

For more on the Kings' history with cowbells, click here.

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.