When Kevin Martin addressed the media Friday to discuss his latest devastating injury, he was faced with questions typically reserved for radio talk shows or anonymous Internet postings.

Just seconds after Martin's opening statement, a reporter who doesn't typically cover the team asked the Kings shooting guard if he was afraid he'd gained a reputation for being soft.

"If I do get that reputation, it'll be fine because I know what I can do when I'm healthy," said Martin, who will have surgery on a left wrist hairline fracture Monday and miss at least eight weeks. "It's just something you have to fight through."

Yet as Martin sees it, it's an unfair fight that has been fostered by one of the team's own employees.

Grant Napear, who is the team's television commentator and an afternoon talk show host for sports station KHTK, routinely criticized Martin for his decision to not play through a left ankle bone bruise that limited him to 51 games last season.

There was a similar tone to the on-air discussion Wednesday surrounding his latest injury. Before the diagnosis was in, a large portion of the show was spent with Napear and co-host Mike Lamb discussing the topic of toughness in the context of Martin's questionable status.

There were numerous comparisons to rookie Tyreke Evans, with the point being made Evans played through his own ankle injury recently and appeared to have an inherent toughness Martin did not.

While Napear cautioned the listeners to wait and see if Martin played against Atlanta before criticizing him again, Napear added: "If he doesn't play tonight (Wednesday), then go ahead and call up tomorrow and kill him and I have no problem with that."

As it turns out, Martin had suffered the fracture in the first half of his 48-point game against Memphis on Monday, then scored 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while playing with the injury against Atlanta on Wednesday.

"That just shows you what type of guy (Napear) is," said Martin, who opted for surgery over wearing a cast but was told he could not play through the injury.

"He didn't know the injury, that I was playing with a broken bone the other night. Nobody knew it was broken. I didn't know it was broken. And just like right now, I want to play. But I can't."

It was not the first time Napear has dealt with such a situation. When an abdominal strain kept renowned sixth man Bobby Jackson out of the 2004 playoffs, Napear definitively called him "soft" for not playing. It was an unusual statement considering Jackson's reputation as one of the toughest players in the league.

While Jackson said he and Napear have since resolved the issue, the former Kings guard who now serves as the team's ambassador said he still disagrees with how Napear handles his dual roles.

"At the end of the day – if it's going to continue to be this way – somebody from upper management is going to have to be like, 'You know what, you've got to talk more positive about our players,' " Jackson said. "He's killing (players) on the (down) low … and nobody from upstairs has said anything to him. He's been able to do that for so long, been able to rub people the wrong way and rub the players the wrong way."

Napear – who draws his radio paycheck from the station and his television salary from the team – said he's used to dealing with the situation.

"I was raised (to believe) you play until you're going to do damage to your body," Napear said. "We're in a depressed economy, and these fans deserve to see these players play.

"(For years) players have sat when they could've played. That bothers me. Now when a guy has a broken bone in his body, that's a different story.

"I don't change my stance on (his view of Martin's ankle injury) at all. If a player can play, I think they should play."

It's indisputable that Martin has been injury-prone. He played in just 61 games in the 2007-08 season while dealing with a groin injury. But last year's ankle injury was far more problematic than originally thought.

Following a Nov. 9, 2008, game against Golden State, Martin's ankle was originally diagnosed as a sprain with ligament damage that would have him out seven to 10 days. Martin returned for two games in early December, then grew frustrated that the ankle had only gotten worse.

Not until he sent an MRI to an outside specialist after the Dec. 6 game was the bone bruise that kept him out until Dec. 30 discovered. Martin revealed Friday his decision to miss the season's final eight games was made because he turned the ankle yet again in overtime of his 50-point game at Golden State on April 1.

"That one was the deciding factor," Martin said. "It was like the 10th time I'd sprained it last year."

Napear was not alone in his in-house skepticism.

"Everybody questioned it – in-house, out of house," Jackson said. "I didn't question it because of all the injuries I've had. I don't go there. Only that player knows what he should do and how his body feels when he steps out on the floor."

This time around, Martin said he feels much better about the support system – if not the diagnosis.

"Last year was a tough year, but this time I had (Kings basketball president) Geoff (Petrie) and the owners talking to me about this one, and I know they definitely have my back right now," Martin said. "I was very glad to see that."

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