Kings announcer placed on leave after tweeting "All Lives Matter" at DeMarcus Cousins

Remember Grant Napear? The Sacramento Kings play-by-play announcer who once called DeMarcus Cousins “the crudest, most vile player” he’s ever been around was placed on administrative leave by his radio station yesterday following a Twitter exchange with Cousins about the Black Lives Matter movement.

On Sunday night, Cousins asked Napear on Twitter what he thought about Black Lives Matter, to which Napear responded, “ALL LIVES MATTER…EVERY SINGLE ONE!!!”, a phrase commonly used — mostly by white people — to dismiss the movement.

Hey!!!! How are you? Thought you forgot about me. Haven't heard from you in years. ALL LIVES MATTER…EVERY SINGLE ONE!!! https://t.co/DfzKl3w0jm

— Grant Napear (@GrantNapearshow) June 1, 2020

Cousins replied, “Lol as expected.” Fellow former Kings Chris Webber and Matt Barnes also responded.

Demarcus we know and have known who grant is. The team knows as well. I’ve told them many times. They’ve seen it. They know who he is. 🤡🤡 https://t.co/4DI4f1DGUp

— Chris Webber (@realchriswebber) June 1, 2020

Would expect nothing less from a closet racists

— Matt Barnes (@Matt_Barnes22) June 1, 2020

Jason Ross, the program director at KHTK, started Napear’s show on Monday with this statement.

“Grant Napear has been placed on administrative leave while we are investigating the statement that was made on Twitter.”

The Sacramento Kings and NBC Sports California also released statements on Napear’s comments.

“Grant’s recent Twitter comments do not reflect our organization’s views and values,” the Kings’ statement read. “We are reviewing the matter further with our broadcast partners NBC Sports California and Sports 1140 KHTK.”

Statement from NBC Sports California on Grant Napear: pic.twitter.com/yjZTujLk04

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) June 2, 2020

Napear, who has served as the play-by-play announcer for the Kings since 1988, apologized in an interview with the Sacramento Bee’s Marcos Breton yesterday morning.

“I’m not as educated on BLM as I thought I was,” Napear said. “I had no idea that when I said ‘All Lives Matter’ that it was counter to what BLM was trying to get across.”

This is not the first time Napear has been criticized for racist language. When former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling was caught on tape making racist comments in 2015, Napear defended him, arguing that Sterling wasn’t racist because he employed black people.

[Sacramento Bee]

UPDATE (6:22 p.m.): KHTK announces they are parting ways with Napear. 

KHTK announces it is parting ways with Grant Napear

— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) June 2, 2020