The NBA season could stretch to mid-October if the NBA Finals goes to a Game 7; the voice of the Sacramento Kings has resigned after a tweet. Also: a prominent SB Nation writer is taking a buyout; NASCAR is adding a new track to its schedule.
NBA Finals could end in mid-October
The NBA has identified Monday, October 12, as a possible end date for the NBA Finals, ESPN reported Tuesday. Under that scenario, Game 7 of the finals would air directly opposite ESPN’s scheduled Chargers-Saints Monday Night Football game. The date could also conflict with Major League Baseball playoff games, which typically take place in October.
The NBA Finals was originally supposed to begin this coming Thursday and run through June 21.
As first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has identified July 31 as a possible restart date for the 2019-20 season. [ESPN.com 6.2]
Kings voice Napear out after tweet
Sacramento Kings play-by-play voice Grant Napear has resigned after posting a controversial tweet. When former Kings C DeMarcus Cousins asked Napear on Twitter what his opinion was of the Black Lives Matter movement, Napear’s response included the phrase “all lives matter,” which has been used as a retort to “black lives matter.” Napear told the Sacramento Bee that he was unaware that “all lives matter” had any derogatory meaning.
Napear had a poor relationship with Cousins, who was traded from Sacramento in 2017. Cousins responded to Napear by saying “as expected.” Other former Kings, including Chris Webber, indicated that they were not surprised by Napear’s statement either. Webber: “[W]e know and have known who [G]rant is. The team knows as well. I’ve told them many times.”
Napear had been the voice of the Kings since 1988. He also has resigned from his radio show, which he hosted since the same year. [Sacramento Bee 6.2 a, b]
EDSBS founder Hall leaving SB Nation
Every Day Should Be Saturday founder Spencer Hall has taken a buyout from Vox Media, where he served as a contributor to SB Nation. Hall was one of several SB Nation writers furloughed in a round of pandemic-related cost-cutting earlier this year. He had been with the company since it acquired EDSBS in 2010. [The Big Lead 6.2]
NASCAR to add Nashville race next year
NASCAR will stage a race weekend in Nashville next year, according to multiple reports Tuesday. The race, tentatively set for next June, will replace one of Dover’s two events. It will mark the first Cup Series event in the area since 1984, though the Xfinity Series raced there as recently as 2000.
NASCAR has not added a new track to its Cup Series slate since Kentucky joined the rotation in 2011. [USA Today 6.2]
