ESPN Radio Promotes Marc Kestecher For NBA PbP

Marc Kestecher

Longtime, versatile ESPN Radio voice Marc Kestecher will serve as the lead play-by-play commentator for the NBA on ESPN Radio beginning with the 2016-17 NBA season.

He will pair with analysts including Jon Barry, PJ Carlesimo and Kara Lawson to call regular-season, All-Star and playoff games.  He will work with Hall of Famer Hubie Brown on the NBA Conference Finals and the NBA Finals.

Kestecher, a 17-year veteran of ESPN, will continue to call NFL, college football and college basketball games on ESPN Radio, and will remain as a studio host for a variety of ESPN Radio programming, including the pre- and post-game shows for the College Football Playoff Semifinals and Championship.

In addition, he will work select ESPN TV events.

"When I arrived at ESPN Radio 17 years ago, one of my goals was to work our NBA games alongside Hall of Famers Jim Durham and Dr. Jack Ramsay, which I was able to do for more than a decade,” said Kestecher. “It is with great honor that I will occupy JD's seat, which was filled so brilliantly the last few seasons by Kevin Calabro."

Tim McCarthy, Senior Vice President/GM Audio Play-by-Play said, “It is always gratifying when a commentator who grew up as part of the ESPN Radio team earns an opportunity such as this. Marc has successfully covered every area of play-by-play for ESPN Radio and we are so proud as he takes the helm of one of our marquee series - the NBA on ESPN Radio.”

Kestecher joined ESPN in 1999 as an ESPN Radio SportsCenter update anchor. He is currently the lead studio host for ESPN Radio’s Major League Baseball and college football broadcasts and is a fixture at major events like NBA All-Star Weekend, the NBA Finals, the NBA Draft, the World Series and the MLB All-Star Game.

Prior to arriving at ESPN, Kestecher was an anchor, reporter and talk show host at WKNR in Cleveland (1996 – 1999).  Previously, he served as sports director at WPTR/WROW in Albany, NY (1992 – 1996) where he also called Albany Patroons (CBA) and Albany Firebirds (Arena Football) games. He also provided play-by play for the University of Albany football and men’s basketball teams (1995-1996) as well as men’s basketball for St. Rose College (1993-1994).