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| Marv Albert |
Albert, who will turn 80 next month, has been calling professional games for nearly 60 years and is considered by most the greatest NBA play-by-player of all-time.
A Brooklyn native and Basketball Hall of Famer revered for his signature “Yes!” call, Albert worked his first Knicks game as a 21-year-old in 1963, filling in for another New York sportscasting giant, Marty Glickman, on WCBS Radio.
Sources said TNT, where Albert has been the lead play-by-player for more than two decades, recently began contacting NBA personnel to pay tribute to Albert during the playoffs.
TNT and Albert are expected to formally announce his retirement plans Monday.
On Thursday, The Post reported that Albert’s partner, Chris Webber, and TNT had agreed that Webber would not call the playoffs after it became apparent the former star forward would not be offered a contract for next year.
Albert’s retirement and Webber’s departure are said to be unrelated.
Albert was the voice of the Knicks for nearly four decades over two separate runs. He first had to resign from the position in 1997 after a very public trial that featured details about his sex life. He eventually pled guilty to assault and battery. He lost all of his broadcasting jobs, including as the voice of the NBA Finals on NBC.
A year later, he came back and eventually regained his Knicks TV job, as well as the top seat on NBC. He would stay on with the Knicks until a run-in with team owner James Dolan led to his exit in 2004.
Though Albert’s career has been legendary on a national level, even crossing over into entertainment with his recurring appearances on David Letterman’s late night programs, his staccato delivery was the soundtrack of Madison Square Garden.
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