We’ve all seen Grant Napear on the Kings broadcast or heard him on the radio. Just like the sports he covers, he’s an intense guy, and if you’ve caught his work once, you wouldn’t forget it. On the air, he’s direct, honest, and excitable. Off the air, Napear is just as direct and honest, but he’s also personable, laid-back, and has a good sense of humor.

Really.

There’s no doubt he’s always enthusiastic and energetic when he’s talking sports, whether it’s on a Kings broadcast, his daily radio show on KHTK, or in his living room with a group of friends.

But off the air, he is laid-back—if not downright mellow.

Really.

“Sports are intense, and I’m a hard-core sports fan,” Napear explained, “but I’m a very laid-back person when I’m not on the air.”

The public generally only sees one side of Napear, which is typical for anyone in the public spotlight, and the nature of the business presents mono-dimensional characters in one-sided relationships. “I think there are two Grant Napears that people see; one that does the Kings games and one that does a radio show,” he said. “The one that does the radio show is very opinionated, and at times in your face, because that’s my style.” The fact that he performs both jobs well is a testament to his experience, diverse skills, and unique personality. “These are two completely different occupations with two totally different sets of criteria,” he explained.

Very few people do both; even fewer do it well.

If You Don’t Like That, You Don’t Like NBA Basketball!

As the Kings television play-by-play announcer, Napear describes the play as it’s happening, and leads color analyst Jerry Reynolds in and out of pertinent discussion topics. Napear feels it’s his responsibility to be energized, because basketball is a high-energy game. “I’ve always said that when the play gets exciting, the announcer needs to be exciting, ” he stated. And Napear thrives on it. “One of the best parts of my job is to be the bridge of excitement to, I think, the best NBA community in the country,” he explained. “We’ve had a tremendous run of exciting basketball, and I’m the one who gets to bring that excitement to the fans. That is unbelievable to me.”

“Grant has been an absolute delight to work with all these years. He helps me tremendously, and it’s hard to imagine working with anyone other than Grant,” said Reynolds.

“He’s such an all-around sports expert. While I consider myself a fan of many sports, Grant truly is an expert. I’ve never been around a guy who is so knowledgeable and has the insight about sports like Grant.”

And his radio show?

“My job is to get people to listen, and keep them listening,” he stated. “My job is to give my opinions, welcome feedback, and have discussions with guests.”

It’s almost like it’s not work.

“I’m a die-hard sports fan—absolutely in love with sports—and get to talk about it every day for three hours,” he explained. “When I’m on the radio, I take the approach that, if I was in the car right now, what would I want to hear?” Napear stays abreast of all current sports news in preparation for each daily show, but he admits his close relationship with the Kings helps. Although Napear and his co-host Mike Lamb have total control over content, they know they must appeal to the masses—and in Sacramento, the Kings appeal to the masses. “Kings fans are rabid and passionate, just like me,” Napear added.

"His passion is real,” said Reynolds. “I don’t think it’s possible for him to turn it on and off.”

Whether it’s a Kings broadcast or his daily radio show, Napear knows he can’t go on the air without being prepared. “I have to be prepared, honest, and fair to maintain credibility,” he noted. “You can’t lose credibility; without it, you’ve got nothing.” And although he’s a die-hard Kings fan, Napear is objective. “True, I’m a Kings fan. I love the Kings organization. But at the same time, I have to be objective. I absolutely want the Kings to win, but when they play poorly, I’m gonna tell people why they are playing poorly.”

Craig Amazeen, the Kings Director or Broadcast Operations believes that Napear’s energy and drive mirror his overall enthusiasm for the team. “As an organization you want your broadcasters to reflect the passion of your team and your franchise,” said Amazeen. “Grant is definitely a reflection of that passion.”

Turn the Sprinkler Systems On, He’s On Fire

Broadcasting what Grant Napear does, not who he is. Don’t be mislead; off the air, Napear is still passionate, but he puts his energy into spending quality time with his two boys and working for local charities. “When I’m not working, my number one goal is to be a good father to my kids,” he stated. “I spend almost all my free time with them.”

Napear’s schedule during the NBA season is demanding, so he takes advantage of the summer off-season to relax and spend valuable time with his boys, Trent, who turns 11 in September, and Chase, the unofficial family comedian, who just turned 9. “We hang out, play a lot of basketball and golf,” Napear said, “and they are just getting started on lacrosse.”

The love for lacrosse runs in the family, as Grant excelled in the sport in high school and college, and Grant's brother and father played in college. Both boys also are active on swim teams, while Chase plays football and Trent plays AAU basketball.

And, all three Napears love to race the karts at Race Place Motorsports on Bradshsaw Road. Decked out in protective racing suits and helmets, the family enjoys pushing the limits in these 9 horsepower, 270 cc gas-powered karts.

The indoor track provides a fun atmosphere for the kids to bond with their dad while getting to race karts in a safe, structured environment. It’s also simply big fun to put the pedal to the metal and try to lap your brother. “It’s cool to race,” said Chase. “This is a great place for the kids,” said Grant, “because they get a training class before they can race; they learn the rules and driver safety before they can get on the track, then they get behind the wheel and let ’er rip.” Once on the track, with engines revving and tires squealing, the kids jockey for position as they focus on the twists and turns in front of them.

Afterward, there’s the typical smack-talk every pair of brothers experience. Arguments over who won today, who won the last time, and who’s the better driver. But when it’s all said and done, they’ve shared another meaningful afternoon with their dad, honing their driving skills and learning how to take the turns.

In addition to sharing time with his own kids, Napear is deeply committed to his role as a member of the board of directors for The Future Foundation of Sacramento, an organization dedicated to providing college educational opportunities for children from low socio-economic backgrounds in the Sacramento area.

Napear supports the foundation’s belief that education is the key to creating a stronger, more productive, and caring society. Besides his other duties on the board, Napear hosts an annual golf tournament that raises money and awareness for the foundation’s efforts. He also plays a key role in reviewing applications and essays, as well as conducting interviews and selecting four scholarship recipients each year. “It’s very fulfilling to see how appreciative these kids are,” he explained. “It’s gratifying to be able to send kids to college when they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to go.”

Put It In the Books and Send Him to the Line

Napear feels very fortunate to be in a position to be able to give back. “I feel very lucky; I’m living my dream,” he said. He recognizes he’s had some fortunate breaks, and that timing is everything. But that’s only part of the equation. “When you get your chance, you have to take full advantage of it,” he acknowledged. “Several times during my career I was in the right place at the right time, and I was prepared and took advantage of the opportunities.”

Being prepared and always listening, always learning, have been key components to Napear’s success as a broadcaster. And with each success came more and more valuable experience. That he has been honing his skills for years is evident when you listen to him call a game; he is knowledgeable, intelligent, and articulate. “I’ve been doing this my whole life,” he stated. As early as second grade, Napear recalls announcing basketball games on the playground in Syosset, NY, with his friend Christopher Russo, who also grew up to be a radio talk-show host.

“We used to announce stickball games as we were playing in the street,” Napear remembers. But the action wasn’t limited to outside; Napear also did mock play-by-play in the living room. “My dad always kids me that I would run around the house saying ‘Mahovlich to Mahovlich: SCORE’ because of the Mahovlich brothers, Frank and Pete, who played for the Canadiens.” Even as a youngster, Napear was passionate about sports, and knew he wanted to be a professional sportscaster or play-by-play announcer.

Growing up on Long Island provided ample opportunity for Napear to experience sports broadcasting at its best. “My idol growing up was Marv Albert,” he stated. “When I was in junior high school I would send him tapes of me ‘calling’ Knicks and Rangers games and he would critique them for me. He’s probably the main reason I pursued a broadcasting career.” And Albert gave good advice. “Marv always told me the most important things in broadcasting are inflection and nuances,” Napear recalled. “For instance, if Mike Bibby is bringing the ball up the court, you need to be able to describe that 10 different ways.” Albert made an impact on the young Napear; an impact that continues today. “I still have the letters he sent me on NBC letterhead,” Napear said proudly.

After high school, Napear attended Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH, on a partial lacrosse scholarship. But he was drawn to the school because of its tremendous radio and television broadcasting program. “I was extremely fortunate,” he explained, “to go to a university where I could walk in as a freshman and start doing basketball and hockey games on the radio.”

Graduating in 1981 with a degree in broadcast journalism, Napear began paying his dues while trying to break into broadcasting. At his first radio job he was the morning DJ, an account executive, and the sports director. But Napear was soon out of a job when the station changed owners and format. A serendipitous appearance on a nationally-televised bowl game soon got Napear an audition with Toledo’s ABC affiliate, where he got a job as a fill-in weekend sports anchor. The only problem was, Napear was living in New York. “Any time they needed me,” he recalled, “I drove 10 hours to Toledo, did the show on Saturday and Sunday, then drove back to New York. I did that for six months.” It was long enough to put together an audition tape, which he used to get a job as the weekend sports anchor at WAND-TV in Decatur, IL.

After three years in Decatur, Napear again happened upon a life-changing opportunity. At a wedding in the summer of 1987, he met the VP of Koplar Communications, owners of Channel 31 in Sacramento. “I was told they had an opening and to send a tape,” Napear remembers. “I sent a tape out Monday, got a call on Wednesday, and flew out to Sacramento on Friday to accept the job as sports director at Channel 31.” Six months after Napear came to Sacramento, Channel 31 won the rights to broadcast the Kings games. Napear had built up a good relationship with the Kings and had play-by-play experience, and so a year after coming to Sacramento, he was doing the Kings games. Napear continued working at Channel 31 until 1995, when he started his radio talk show.

Napear talks fast and loud, and he tells you what he thinks. Some interpret that as being opinionated and inflexible. But he listens as well as he speaks, and is not averse to changing his opinion if he hears a valid, albeit different, viewpoint. “I love talking to people,” he explained, “and Kings fans are so rabid and passionate—it’s perfect for me, because I’m passionate.”

Amazeen agrees. “Grant is passionate about his kids, Sacramento, the Kings, his career, his golf game, what he had for breakfast and every other facet of his life. That’s what makes him special.”

From the playgrounds of Syosset, NY, to sitting courtside at ARCO Arena, Grant Napear has always been energetic and enthusiastic when it comes to sports. But get him away from sports and he is relaxed, candid, and, yes, mellow.

Really.