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Legendary broadcaster Marv Albert says farewell as 55-year career comes to an end

Jack Baer
·Staff writer
·3-min read

The Eastern Conference finals are over, and Marv Albert has officially called the last game of a legendary 55-year broadcasting career.

The TNT play-by-play man announced in May he planned to retire at the conclusion of the Eastern Conference finals, the final games on TNT's NBA schedule. He has held firm on those plans, so that meant it was time to say goodbye after the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Atlanta Hawks in six games.

Since 1967, Albert's voice has been a fixture of New York Knicks and national NBA games, as well as football, hockey, boxing, horse racing and tennis. His career spanned seven decades and the careers of players including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, not to mention his current co-workers Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal.

Marv Albert says goodbye

Miller, Albert's color commentator, led the farewell following Game 6, with a montage of Albert's career playing as the man reflected on his career:

Albert's farewell:

"With tonight's game winding down, I'm thinking 'Well, this is it. My last broadcast.' And all that's going through my mind is I have been so fortunate to be doing this for 55 years. Doing what I love, having a front-row seat for so many of the iconic moments of sports history.

"Doing it throughout the years with people who are at the top of their game, brilliant at their craft — Reggie, it's such a pleasure working with you. You're a Hall of Famer as a player, as a broadcaster and as a person. Our gifted people in the truck, producer Tom Heitz and director Andrew Greathouse, statistician Brian Taylor, production crew, our fantastic camera people. Love to mention all the names, but time does not allow.

"I wish I were starting all over again. It has been such a joy. So for the last time, thanks so much for watching. I'm Marv Albert, saying 'Thank you, and good night.'"

In an interview with the "Inside the NBA" crew after the game, Albert said he planned to spend his retirement traveling with his wife Heather (to the dismay of their two pugs) and see his four children and eight grandchildren, as well as plenty of television binging, reading and working out.

"I don't think I'll have any problem filling the time, although once October and November roll around, I'm sure I will miss the fact that I'm not getting ready to call games," Albert said.

Once he was off the air, all that was left was a standing ovation from the Atlanta crowd:

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