Hall Of Fame Broadcaster Marv Albert Will Retire After NBA Playoffs – Report

Marv Albert, the man who made “Yes!” the catch-phrase of millions of basketball players who just hit a shot, will reportedly retire at the conclusion of the National Basketball Assn. playoffs.

The nearly 80-year-old Albert has been the voice of 60 years of basketball broadcasts. The New York Post’s Andrew Marchand broke the story.

Albert, who will turn 80 next month, is a Basketball Hall of Famer broadcaster best-known for his signature “Yes!” call.

He was the voice of the New York Knicks starting as a 21-year-old in 1963, filling in for another New York sportscasting giant, Marty Glickman, on WCBS Radio. He became the permanent play-by-play man in 1967, and stayed with the Knicks through their championship glory years of 1969 and 1973.

Albert later became a national voice, working as the lead broadcaster for TNT for more than two decades.

TNT and Albert are expected to formally announce his retirement plans soon. Meanwhile, the NBA has reportedly begun contact NBA personnel to provide tributes to Albert during the playoffs.

Albert’s partner, Chris Webber, was recently ousted from his playoffs duties. The move reportedly was made in advance of Webber’s contract ending. Albert’s retirement and Webber’s departure are unrelated, but it’s still unclear who will team with Albert for the playoffs.

He is scheduled to call his last game in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Albert has also called games for NBA on NBC, the CBS NCAA tournament, and the then-New Jersey Nets. He’s also called NHL games and NFL games, and done boxing events, tennis, and horse racing.