Ex-NBA Broadcaster Suing For Wrongful Termination Over 'All Lives Matter' Tweet

Former Sacramento Kings play-by-play man Grant Napear has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the parent company of KHTK radio for "wrongful termination," as relayed by Fox News.

Napear was fired after tweeting "All Lives Matter" in response to a tweet from NBA center DeMarcus Cousins, who once played for the Kings and is now out of the league. The exchange took place during the racial tension and riots that followed the death of George Floyd in 2020.

Napear had been the Kings' radio man since 1988 and sometimes filled in as host of The Jim Rome Show.

"The complaint alleges wrongful termination, discrimination and retaliation in connection with Napear’s firing from his job at KHTK in June of 2020 following a contentious Twitter exchange. Napear was allowed to resign from his play-by-play job with the Kings on the same day," per Sacramento Fox 40 TV. "The lawsuit is asking for damages, including lost and future wages and emotional distress."

The fallout started after Napear, 62, tweeted a response to a question about the Black Lives Matter movement from Cousins in late May 2020. Napear responded that "All lives matter ... every single one."

That was reason enough for KHTK owner Bonneville International to release Napear, almost immediately.

"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 views or values of Bonneville International Corporation," the company said in a statement.

"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 said he had no regrets during an interview with Fox 40 a year ago.

"Do I make mistakes? Yeah, I make mistakes and if I make a mistake, I try to say that I’m sorry. But I’m not sorry for saying ‘all lives matter, every single one,'" he said. "I’m not sorry because I believe that every life is important. I’m not sorry because I believe in equality for all. I’m not sorry because I try to treat everyone, regardless of the color of their skin, the same."