Gerould back for 36th year as voice of Kings

In many ways the Kings will be embarking on a season of change when the upcoming NBA campaign begins, but fans will take comfort in knowing one thing will remain the same.

A team source told The Sacramento Bee that Gary Gerould will be back for his 36th season as the radio voice of the Kings. Over the summer, Gerould took on a temporary role as the play-by-play announcer on remote television broadcasts during the NBA restart, but the G-Man, as he is so affectionately known in Sacramento, will return to radio this season.

Gerould’s contract expired at the end of September, but both sides have agreed to work out an extension before the 2020-21 season, sources said. Those talks have been on hold amid more pressing team business and scheduling uncertainties associated with the coronavirus pandemic, but Gerould, 80, wants to return and the team is committed to bringing him back.

“I’m happy to hear that,” Gerould told The Bee on Monday. “That’s basically what I was told, but I never take things for granted. I look forward to it. I love the fact that the opportunity is there and I certainly have enjoyed it. As long as I’m healthy and I’m still having a good time, and as long as I feel like I’m wanted, I definitely want to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Gerould, known for his golden voice and honest analysis through good times and bad, has called Kings games on radio since the franchise moved to Sacramento in 1985. He also worked in television for decades. He was a motorsports reporter for ABC and ESPN for 37 years. He also provided playby-play for NFL games and covered the Olympics for NBC in the 1980s.

The Kings moved Gerould from his familiar radio role on Sports 1140 KHTK to the television broadcast on NBC Sports California during the NBA restart after longtime play-byplay announcer Grant Napear resigned amid controversy in June. The Kings hired Mark Jones of ESPN and ABC Sports last week to replace Napear.