Kings public address announcer Scott Moak out due to NBA health and safety protocols
Popular Kings public address announcer Scott Moak was not in his usual courtside seat for Wednesday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks after being placed under NBA health and safety protocols.
Moak became the latest member of the organization to enter the league’s protocol system amid the first major COVID-19 outbreak the team has faced since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Moak all but confirmed he had tested positive for COVID-19 on Twitter, telling friends and followers he is asymptomatic and “feeling fine.”
“Appreciate all the love fam!” Moak tweeted. “I feel fine!!! And I am so thankful the Kings make tests available even when we are vaxed, boosted and feeling fine.”
Moak was removed from his position at the scorer’s table in the first quarter in Tuesday’s 117-111 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden 1 Center. He was replaced by Thaddeus Davis, the public address announcer for the G League Stockton Kings. Davis filled in again during Wednesday’s dramatic 95-94 victory over the Mavericks.
Kings staff who work courtside have been subject to increased testing recently, a source told The Sacramento Bee. Staffers were informed Wednesday they must now produce a negative test result before they enter the arena.
Moak further explained his situation in response to a Twitter user who wondered why he was at Tuesday’s game “if he didn’t have a full clean bill of health during a spike.”
“I’m asymptomatic,” Moak tweeted. “I tested because I test before almost every game. And I got a text that I had to retest in the middle of Q1 last night.”
Moak has served as the Kings’ public address announcer since 2002, providing pregame introductions, in-game announcements and postgame interviews. He also works as vice president of community investment for Sacramento Republic FC and as a co-host for Fox40’s “Studio40 Live.”
Kings players and staff have been hit hard by COVID-19 over the past two weeks. Interim coach Alvin Gentry tested positive for the virus on Dec. 15. Over the next few days, De’Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell, Terence Davis, Marvin Bagley III, Louis King, Alex Len and Neemias Queta all entered NBA health and safety protocols, causing each of them to miss games.
Gentry, Fox, Mitchell, Davis, Bagley, King and Len have returned to the team in recent days. Queta was still out as of Wednesday.
This story was originally published December 30, 2021 at 12:11 PM.
