Former NBA Announcer Loses Free Speech Case Over 2020 Tweet

Grant Napear, a longtime Sacramento Kings announcer, was fired after responding to DeMarcus Cousins’ inquiry about Black Lives Matter with an “All Lives Matter” tweet during the protests following George Floyd’s death. A federal appeals court upheld Bonneville International Corp.’s decision to dismiss him, citing the need to protect the company’s reputation and the implications of Napear’s public persona on social media. Napear, who plans to appeal, argues that his tweet was personal expression unrelated to his work. He has since returned to radio after five years of podcasting, following similar controversies in sports broadcasting.

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