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Ex-Kings Announcer Grant Napear 'Can't Speak' on Legal Action After Resigning
June 5, 2020
Grant Napear is keeping his plans close to the vest after resigning as play-by-play announcer of the Sacramento Kings this week.
Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reported that a $100,000 GoFundMe campaign was started to help Napear build a legal team. When asked by Anderson if he planned to take legal action against the Kings or the radio station he formerly worked for, KHTK, Napear said: "I can't speak about what I'm doing right now."
Napear resigned from his post after tweeting, "ALL LIVES MATTER...EVERY SINGLE ONE!!!" on Sunday in response to a question from former Kings star DeMarcus Cousins regarding the Black Lives Matter movement.
In addition to stepping down from his position with the Kings, Napear was fired from his radio job with KHTK.
Napear, 60, said he had "no idea" that the phrase "All Lives Matter" is viewed as contradictory to the Black Lives Matter movement.
He also took to Twitter to issue an apology: "If it came across as dumb I apologize. That was not my intent. That's how I was raised. It has been ingrained in me since I can remember. I've been doing more listening than talking the past few days. I believe the past few days will change this country for the better!"
Black Lives Matter has been a rallying cry for those working to end racial inequality and police violence, including those who have been protesting and organizing since the killing of George Floyd on May 25.
Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis when officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee pressed against the back of Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes despite Floyd saying several times that he couldn't breathe.
Chauvin was fired, arrested and charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The other three officers involved in the arrest were fired and later charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
Protests against racial inequality, police brutality and social injustice have been held in cities across the United States and the world since Floyd's death.
Napear had been the Kings' play-by-play announcer since 1988, which was just their fourth year in Sacramento after moving from Kansas City.
He was on the call for many of the greatest moments in franchise history, including making eight straight playoff appearances from 1998-99 through 2005-06 and reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2002.
The Kings' are in the middle of a 13-year playoff drought, but they will have an opportunity to qualify for the playoffs when the 2019-20 NBA season resumes next month after it was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.