Jim Durham

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jim Durham (born February 12, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American sportscaster.

Since 1995, he has called numerous National Basketball Association games for ESPN and ESPN Radio. Durham has spent more than 32 years calling NBA games on TV and radio; his previous assignments were with the Chicago Bulls, the Dallas Mavericks, TNT and TBS. With the Bulls, he was play-by-play announcer when Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and their teammates won the 1990-91 NBA championship. In 1999, Durham called men's NCAA basketball tournament games for CBS.

[edit] Early career

Early in his career, Durham worked on WJBC radio in Bloomington, Illinois. During his time there, he covered the career of Illinois State University basketball star Doug Collins, later coincidentally the coach of the Bulls during the early Jordan years in Chicago, including the famous call listed below.

[edit] "The Shot"

Jim Durham's most memorable call is arguably his narration of Michael Jordan's "shot" in Game 5 of the first round of the 1989 NBA playoff series between the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers:

“

The inbounds pass comes in to Jordan. Here's Michael at the foul line, a shot on Ehlo...GOOD! The Bulls WIN!!! THEY WIN!!! The Chicago Bulls UPSET the Cleveland Cavaliers! Michael Jordan hits it on the foul line! 101-100! 20,273 is stunned silence here in the colliseum! Michael Jordan with 44 points in a game hit the shot over Craig Ehlo. What tremendous heroics we have had in Game 5. In my broadcasting career, 16 years, GREATEST series I've ever seen! Man Redhead! (to his broadcast partner, color commentator Johnny "Red" Kerr)

”