Kings Announcer Placed on Leave for All Lives Matter Tweet Amid George Floyd Protests

Grant Napear, the longtime Sacramento Kings television play-by-play commentator, is under fire for his tweet in response to the protests following George Floyd's death.

That scrutiny ultimately led to him being placed on leave, as announced by his home radio station, KHTK.

The tweet in question features Napear declaring the phrase, "ALL LIVES MATTER," one that is routinely critiqued by the African American community for attempting to diminish the Black Lives Matter movement.

Interestingly, DeMarcus Cousins, a former Kings star, posed an initial question to Napear, inciting his response. Due to his extensive history with the franchise, Cousins seemed to have had one or two prior experiences with Napear, clearly expecting a specific type of answer from the commentator. He was not surprised with the response.

Cousins expressed that sentiment with a simple reply to Napear's tweet, with former NBA player Matt Barnes, a one-year Kings roster member himself, entering the conversation as well.

Napear was apologetic in the aftermath of his tweet, but clearly lacked the necessary foresight when pressing the publish button in response to Cousins.

While it remains to be seen if Napear's leave will last into the league's restart, the initial move shows the Kings' willingness to address any negligence within the organization and encourage empathy to the crucial issues facing the nation at the moment.