Who’s on the mic? A rundown of local Kings TV, radio commentators as play-in tournament begins

When you tune into a Kings broadcast, whether television or radio, you’ll be entertained by the personalities providing play-by-play, analysis and feedback pregame, in-game, at halftime and postgame.

But with the postseason here, will you be able to hear the same local TV and radio voices you’ve enjoyed the past few months?

Through the ups and downs of the 82-game regular season, the Kings finished with a 46-36 record, two shy of their record last season, notching the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference and earning a chance to fight for the NBA playoffs during the league’s play-in tournament. They’ll face off against their interstate rival, Golden State Warriors, on Tuesday in a home game at the Golden 1 Center.

The game will be nationally televised on TNT, beginning at 7 p.m.

For those who want to see their favorite local TV broadcasters call games for the Kings before the 2023-24 season ends, it will depend on the outcome of the play-in tournament.

If the Kings defeat the Warriors on Tuesday, they would advance to the final play-in game against the loser of the Los Angeles Lakers-New Orleans Pelicans matchup, competing for the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference. That game, on Friday, will also be on TNT.

Should the Kings win both games, then the first round of the playoffs against the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder will be televised both nationally and locally on NBC Sports California, as was the case last year, and viewers will be able to watch their favorite TV personalities again this season.

Kings TV personalities

Mark Jones and Kyle Draper share the baton leading the Kings’ TV broadcast as play-by-play announcers. Jones joined the Kings as the primary play-by-play announcer in 2020, filling an empty seat after Grant Napear resigned.

Former WNBA player Kayte Christensen is the Kings TV analyst, she joined the broadcast for the third time in 2021. She had a couple of stints, first joining in 2006 and again in 2013, around the same time Vivek Ranadivé bought the team.

Jones has double responsibility with ESPN. When he’s not calling games for the Kings, he’s calling NBA games for the national network.

That’s when Draper fills in. He joined NBC Sports California as an additional TV play-by-play announcer at the beginning of the 2020-21 NBA season, after previously working at NBC Sports Boston. When not calling games, he’s in the studio with Morgan Ragan for pregame and postgame coverage.

There have been some changes made to the broadcast lineup since the start of the season.

In October, the Kings announced that Mike Bibby would join the NBC Sports California pregame and postgame broadcast team as an analyst.

Just a couple of months later, the team announced in December the addition of three-time WNBA champion Chelsea Gray to the broadcast team, providing commentary.

A familiar face was no longer seen on NBC Sports California as the network announced in February that Sacramento native and former Kings forward Matt Barnes would no longer appear in broadcasts.

Kings radio talent

The play-in tournament will be on Sacramento airwaves on 1140 AM. Radio listeners can tune in to local broadcasts of all postseason games there, including Tuesday’s game vs. the Warriors and Friday’s potential game against the Lakers or Pelicans.

Gary Gerould has been the Kings’ play-by-play announcer since 1985, when the team moved to Sacramento from Kansas City. He’s called more than 3,000 games for the team.

He’s joined by a rotating cast of on-air radio talent, Deuce Mason, Jason Ross and former Kings forward Henry Turner, to serve as color analysts during the radio broadcasts.

Fans who itch for game analysis, feedback, predictions or the comfort of other Kings fans leading up to the game, or the day after, can tune into daytime radio personalities in Sacramento.

For “Sactown Sports” 1140 AM, there’s “The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross” at 6 a.m., Allen Stiles and Chris Watkins beginning at 10 a.m. through the lunch hour and “The Drive Guys” with Kevin Gleason and Draper at 2 p.m.

On ESPN 1320 AM, you can tune into “The Insiders” and listen to insight from James Ham and Kyle Madson at 10 in the morning, followed by “D-Lo and KC” with Damien Barling and Kenny Caraway at noon.