20 Second Timeout

The Incomparable Marv Albert, Forever "The Voice of the NBA"

Marv Albert has announced that he will retire after doing the play by play of the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals for TNT. Albert, who will turn 80 on June 12, is one of the most decorated and respected broadcasters ever. He received the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Media Award in 1997, plus five national Emmys, three local (New York) Emmys, 20 selections as the New York State Sportscaster of the Year, and a host of other honors, including his 2014 induction in the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame.

Albert has called New York Rangers hockey games, nationally televised NFL games, boxing, horse racing, and Wimbledon. Between his television and radio duties, Albert called eight Super Bowls, 12 NBA Finals, eight Stanley Cup Finals, and four Olympic Games.

However, Albert will forever be remembered as "The Voice of the NBA," providing a soundtrack of memorable NBA calls that have endured across generations--from "Now here comes Willis--and the crowd is going wild!" to "A SPECTACULAR move by Michael Jordan" to "Extensive garbage time" to "On the hop!" to his trademark "Yes!" Those calls need no explanation or context for any NBA fan. Albert had a long stint as a local broadcaster for the New York Knicks, and a shorter run later in his career with the New Jersey Nets, but he is perhaps best known for his work for the NBA on NBC and his work for TNT's NBA coverage. He meshed well with a variety of broadcast partners, but he always had special chemistry with Marv Fratello, who Albert affectionately dubbed "The Czar of the Telestrator."

Chris Webber's abrupt recent departure from TNT has opened up some color commentating opportunities, and it was a treat to watch and hear Albert reunited with Fratello--for the first time in several years--for TNT's broadcast of Washington's 142-115 victory over Indiana in the Play-In Tournament. Albert has always combined good knowledge of the game with a smooth vocal delivery, and the capacity to inject humor in the broadcast without taking the focus off of the game, particularly if the game is competitive. For a long time, if he was on the call you knew that you were watching a big game, and you knew that he would deliver an enjoyable and informative broadcast. As the saying goes, Father Time is undefeated, but even in his twilight years Albert still calls a very good game, and a better game than most of his peers, some of whom are barely half his age. He more than withstood the test of time, and he had a courtside seat from the Chamberlain/Russell era all the way through the latter stages of LeBron James' career.

Labels: Indiana Pacers, Marv Albert, Mike Fratello, NBA, Washington Wizards

posted by David Friedman @ 11:55 PM

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