Sacramento Kings announcer Grant Napear resigned from his position on Tuesday, after recently tweeting “ALL LIVES MATTER” in response to a question about Black Lives Matter.
“I want to thank the fans for their overwhelming love and support,” Napear said iTuesday. “I will always remain a part of Kings nation in my heart.”
According to ESPN:
Napear, who has called games for the Kings since 1988, was answering a question from former Kings star DeMarcus Cousins, who asked Napear for his opinion on Black Lives Matter.
‘Hey!!!! How are you? Thought you forgot about me,’ Napear responded. “Haven’t heard from you in years. ALL LIVES MATTER…EVERY SINGLE ONE!!!’
Napear later apologized, telling The Sacramento Bee on Monday that he is ‘not as educated on BLM as I thought I was.’
Napear sought to clarify his position on Twitter.
“I had no idea that when I said ‘All Lives Matter’ that it was counter to what BLM was trying to get across,” Napear said.
Napear was also fired from his radio show at KHTK.
“His recent comments about the Black Lives Matter movement do no reflect the views or values of Bonneville International Corporation,” the company said. “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.”
The incident comes as civil unrest and violent demonstrations sweep across the country. More than 30 U.S. cities have been hit by some degree of rioting and damage.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn