Who is Grant Napear Wiki, Bio, Age, Net Worth, Instagram, Twitter & More Facts
Grant Napear Wiki – Grant Napear Bio
Grant Napear is an American sports radio host. He hosted The Grant Napear Show at KHTK Sports 1140 in Sacramento, California. He was previously the play-by-play announcer for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is fills in for Jim Rome on The Jim Rome show. A section of his radio show is the self-titled “Grant’s Rant,” in which he furiously exclaims into the microphone about everyday things that irritate him, such as obese passengers on airplanes, stop lights at freeway on-ramps, and people asking him if he’s ready for Christmas during the holidays. His trademark phrase “If you don’t like that, you don’t like NBA basketball” has become a household reference among Kings fans, and NBA fans in general.
Grant Napear Resignation
Napear resigned from his play-by-play position with the Sacramento Kings on June 2, 2020, after posting “All Lives Matter” on Twitter in a reply to former Kings player DeMarcus Cousins. The post came in the midst of the nationwide unrest during the George Floyd protests.
Grant Napear Fired Story
The NBA team issued a terse statement Tuesday afternoon:
“Grant Napear has resigned from the Sacramento Kings. We thank him for his contributions to the team and wish him all the best.”
Napear, who had been the Kings’ TV play-by-play announcer since 1988, issued the following statement through the team: “I want to thank the fans for their overwhelming love and support. I will always remain a part of Kings nation in my heart.”
Napear was placed on administrative leave by KHTK on Monday, one day after he responded to a tweet from former Kings star DeMarcus Cousins, who wondered what the broadcaster’s take on the Black Lives Matter movement.
Napear, who has had a long-running feud with Cousins, emphatically replied: “ALL LIVES MATTER…EVERY SINGLE ONE!!!”
For Bonneville International, the parent company of KHTK, that clearly crossed the line — especially at a time when outrage and anguish is sweeping the nation in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
“We were saddened by the comments Grant Napear recently made on Twitter,” Bonneville said in a statement. “While we appreciate Grant’s positive contributions to KHTK over the years, his recent comments about the Black Lives Matter movement do not reflect the values of Bonneville International Corporation. The timing of Grant’s tweet was particularly insensitive. After reviewing the matter carefully, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with Grant.”
Napear’s tweet to Cousins drew criticism from former Kings players Chris Webber and Matt Barnes, who both indicated via social media that they believe this was not the first time Napear had exhibited insensitivity on racial matters:
Chris Webber✔@realchriswebber
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.
DeMarcus Cousins✔@boogiecousins
Replying to @TheDougChristie @GrantNapearshowIt’s all love to the fullest big bro
but I won’t be calling in to the show. I vowed fo never help that show. I am looking forward to the response though! Thanks
Barnes even went as far as to call Napear a “closet racist”:
Matt Barnes✔@Matt_Barnes22
Would expect nothing less from a closet racists
On Monday, as the Napear controversy was blowing up, NBC Sports California, the television partner of the Kings, said the announcer’s comments were not in alignment with its views.
“Our company values and honors inclusion and equality,” the regional cable network said in a statement. “Racism, injustice and violence run counter to everything we stand for and cannot be tolerated in our society. Grant Napear’s recent comments on Twitter do not reflect the views of NBC Sports California. We’ve spoken to Grant’s employer, the Sacramento Kings, about the matter.”
On Tuesday, NBCSC kept it much more brief: “We would like to thank Grant for his years of service at the network and we wish him well.”
Napear, who is known for a boisterous, forceful, in-your-face broadcasting style, assumed a contrite public stance on Monday, writing that if his tweet “came across as dumb I apologize. That was not my intent. …”
Clearly, it was too late, too little for a broadcaster who once raised eyebrows when, on his radio show, he said he couldn’t understand how disgraced former Clippers owner Donald Sterling could be called a racist if had had hired black men to be his general manager (Elgin Baylor) and head coach (Doc Rivers).
In 2014, Sterling was banned for life from the NBA after being caught in tape after making lewd and racist statements.
Napear Racism
According to Jason Jones, a Kings beat writer for The Athletic, players on team have “privately fumed about Napear for years and what they viewed as his racially insensitive tone on many topics.” In his post on Tuesday, Jones wrote that several players had texted him “to express their support for Napear’s ouster.”
Napear has been accused of racism by former players for the Sacramento Kings and has come under fire for defending Donald Sterling, the former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers banned from the NBA after making racist remarks. On May 31, 2020, Napear generated controversy and was placed on leave by KHTK after posting a statement on Twitter containing the phrase “All lives matter”. KHTK announced that they had fired Napear and the Kings announced Napear had resigned from his TV position with them less than a week later.[4]
