Yahoo News Ex-Kings call suspended announcer Grant Napear clown, 'closet racist,' after 'all lives matter' tweet
Sacramento Kings announcer Grant Napear has been suspended from his radio show after a Twitter confrontation with DeMarcus Cousins over the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
The trouble started for Napear when he responded to a prompt from Cousins, the former Kings All-Star, in a conversation amid the nationwide George Floyd protests.
‘ALL LIVES MATTER’
Cousins asked Napear his thoughts on “Black Lives Matter.” Napear responded with an all-caps response declaring that “ALL LIVES MATTER.”
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 responded “Lol as expected” to the “all lives matter” quip that’s commonly used to shut down black Americans as they urge awareness around police violence against their community.
Chris Webber, Matt Barnes weigh in
The conversation caught the attention of a pair of prominent former Kings players.
Chris Webber adorned his response with a pair of clown emojis.
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
Matt Barnes called Napear a “closet racist.”
Would expect nothing less from a closet racists
— Matt Barnes (@Matt_Barnes22) June 1, 2020
And he wasn’t done. Barnes slammed Napear, using some choice language about the announcer during an Instagram live appearance with former Golden State Warriors teammate and activist Stephen Jackson.
(Warning: NSFW language)
— pickuphoop (@pickuphoop) June 1, 2020
Napear’s suspension
Sports 1140 KHTK’s Jason Ross announced the suspension at the top of “The Grant Napear Show” on Monday while reading a statement from the station.
“Grant Napear has been placed on administrative leave while we are investigating the statement that was made on Twitter,” Ross said, per the Sacramento Bee.
Napear responds
Napear pleaded ignorance in an interview earlier Monday with Bee columnist Marcos Bretón.
“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. ...
“I’m in pain. I’m 60 years old and I still have a lot learn.”
Napear also issued a statement on Twitter.
If it came across as dumb I apologize. That was not my intent. That's how I was raised. It has been engrained 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! https://t.co/Gsh84BPBEk
— Grant Napear (@GrantNapearshow) June 1, 2020
Napear has worked as the Kings’ play-by-play announcer since 1988.
According to the Bee, he found himself in hot water before by defending banished former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, arguing that he can’t be racist since he hired black people.
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