Sacramento Kings hire Kyle Draper from NBC Sports Boston for backup play-by-play job
The Kings have hired Kyle Draper of NBC Sports Boston to join their broadcast team in Sacramento.
In addition to regular pregame and postgame duties on NBC Sports California, Draper will serve as the Kings’ backup play-by-play man when Mark Jones is away on national assignments for ABC Sports and ESPN, the Kings announced Monday. The Kings hired Jones on Nov. 6, four months after longtime play-by-play announcer Grant Napear resigned amid controversy.
“We are excited to welcome Kyle to the Kings family and add his engaging presence to our talented broadcast team of Mark Jones and Doug Christie,” Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé said in a news release. “His significant experience in the media industry will greatly add to the telecasts, and we look forward to watching him work his magic in Sacramento.”
Draper has worked for NBC Sports Boston since 2009, serving as host of “Celtics Pregame Live” and “Celtics Postgame Live.” He also served as a fill-in play-by-play announcer for Celtics games and covered other events, including the NBA Draft, the draft lottery and Celtics training camp. Draper has also filled in as a play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Bulls.
“It is an honor to join the Kings broadcast team and I would like to thank Vivek and the organization for this amazing opportunity,” Draper said. “For generations, Kings fans have demonstrated an incredible devotion to their team, and I can’t wait to connect with them while beginning a new chapter in Sacramento.”
