S. Samuel
Miami rapper Flo Rida has finally discussed making headlines earlier this summer when his manager Lee "Freezy" Prince was escorted from the NBA playoffs due to rowdy behavior.
Flo said despite being a big music star, he did not want to name-drop his celebrity status and allowed security do their job.
“I couldn’t do that because I spoke to the police like, ‘I got this under control.’ I’m gonna bring him back. So um, I just let them do what they do,” Flo explained in an interview when asked about not making a big scene to keep his manager from being tossed. “I’m definitely a big fan of the Heat. Shout-out to the Miami Heat. I got one ring, now gotta get the next one.” (“The Breakfast Club”)
Hours prior to the NBA Finals Game 7, the rap star’s manager revealed the NBA had taken swift action against him in light of his courtside antics during the previous round.
Freezy, whose real name is Lee Prince, said he has been banned by the NBA from attending the next two final games at the Triple A after San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called him a distraction. Though Flo Rida wasn’t involved, he won’t be at the game either, according to Freezy. “We ride together,” he said. Flo Rida left for Las Vegas after hearing about the sanction. He’ll catch the game there, Freezy says. (Miami Herald)
Freezy could have possibly found himself in handcuffs if he attended the NBA Finals following his publicized ejection.
Freezy, who chose to remain in Miami, said NBA attorneys warned him not to show up tonight. Otherwise, he’ll be arrested. He has asked his lawyer to appeal to the NBA to rescind the expulsion. “This is an act of discrimination,” he said, adding that he did no more than what any other fan would do at an NBA final: support the team and enjoy the game. “I am not an outside celebrity. I am a local fan and I’m gonna get emotional watching my team play,” Freezy said. He said he never had any kind of interaction with Popovich and never threatened anyone during Game 1 and 2. (Miami Herald)
Flo’s manager previously stood behind the caught-on-tape actions and blamed his Miami upbringing for making him rowdy during the Eastern Conference Finals elimination game.
So, hours after he got the boot from Game 7, we emailed Prince to get his side of the story. And let’s just say he wasn’t repentant. “The feeling of the Miami Heat win became too much for them, so when they got physical I got vocal,” Prince wrote. “I’m not a fair weather fan; we go hard in Dade County.” (MTV)
Check out Flo Rida’s interview:
