On Jay-Z’s uber-famous 2009 record, “Empire State of Mind,” the Blueprint 3 rapper bragged about what it’s like when he attends NBA games in New York City. “Sitting courtside, Knicks and Nets give me high fives,” Hov rapped, before asserting that if Jesus was paying LeBron, he’d be paying Dwyane Wade.
Despite the pleasantries from players, however, the courtside experience can be a perilous one, and last night, Jay-Z found that out the hard way.
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Sitting courtside at the Barclays Center for the Nets’ matchup with the Miami Heat, Hov was deep in conversation with someone sitting to his right. The woman sitting to his left attempted to speak across Jay’s face, and in doing so, spilled his drink (looked like red wine) all over his hand and dangerously close to his massive gold watch.
Hov, rocking a backwards MLB fitted, brushed it off with a laugh, and it was later revealed that the woman who spilled his drink was actually Clara Wu Tsai who, a co-owner of the Nets, “as well as a businesswoman, philanthropist, criminal justice activist, and member of Jay’s REFORM Alliance, which he formed with Meek Mill who was also sitting with them at the game.”
A courtside attendant quickly brought a bottle of water to help clean up the alcoholic mess and Hov continued to put on a good face despite the spill. It probably would have been a different story if someone other than Wu Tsai, who he obviously knows well, had been the one to send red wine flying everywhere, but Jay took it in stride. And combined with snapshots of the Reasonable Doubt rapper riding a bike, diving in a pool, operating a jet ski and working out on the beach, the image of his face when his drink spilled is going to be added to the rolodex of memeable Jay-Z moments.
What are you doing if someone spills your drink courtside? Let us know in the comments.