Every year, the NBA invites me to participate in the process of determining the various league award winners, and every year I promised myself that it will be the last year I vote. I take this responsibility seriously, and unlike some that have votes, I am determined to vote objectively and without regard to team affiliation. I do offer this codicil: If I think the merits of two players (or coaches) are clo ...

I would be lying if I told you I didn’t like to be recognized for my work. I do. I’m in a performance industry, it takes considerable ego to do this type of work, and I don’t mind the occasional pat on the back. That said – and this might seem contradictory – I’ve never really cared for awards. That might not make sense to you, but I think there’s distinction between recognition and awards. Recognition, to ...

I despise exercising. Now, I do walk 20 miles a week, and two summers ago I traipsed 500 miles around Indiana to raise money for the Indiana Children’s Wish Fund, so it might seem like I enjoy it. But the truth is, unless I can see some sort of compelling reason to exercise – I walk the 20 miles weekly in the hope that it will help delay what I am assuming will be an ugly and inevitable physical demise – I ...

One of the reasons this is such a good place to work is that every once in a while, for no apparent reason, somebody does something to show that your work is appreciated. A few minutes after we finished our broadcast in New Orleans last Saturday night, I got an e-mail from Rob Laycock. Now, Pacers Sports and Entertainment is a big corporation, which means we have a bunch of fancy sounding titles we hand out ...

Photo: NBA.com Jim Durham passed away a few days ago, and for those of us that called him a friend and a colleague, it's a staggering blow. Jim was one of the greatest play-by-play broadcasters the NBA has ever known, and while that's impressive enough to stand alone as a reason to admire him, that's not the reason his passing is such a blow. After all, there are a lot of great play-by-play broadcasters in ...

I usually stay away from addressing basketball-related topics in this space, which is ironic given that this is, you know, a basketball-related website. Over the years, my basketball/Pacers-related observations have tended to meander from the center of the highway, and while I've never had an issue with our basketball people, the marketing people have a tendency to look at me the same way you might look at ...

Generally speaking, I am not the impulsive type. I might (might?) do a lot of things that nobody else can understand, but there’s usually a lengthy thought process and at least one or two solid reasons – well, they seem solid to me, anyway – that lead to whatever it is I decide to do. But not always. By way of background, it’s worth mentioning that I hadn't had a haircut in well over a year. I’d been comple ...

Every successful endeavor is, at least in part, a success because of people or things that don’t always command the spotlight. Such is the case with our radio broadcasts; if they can be considered successful after nearly a quarter of a century, a significant share of the credit goes to Kevin Lee and Scott Fenstermaker. Kevin has been with us since the 1990’s and is an invaluable asset. He handles the half-h ...

Another season begins Wednesday night, as the Pacers open preseason play with a game against Minnesota in Fargo. And while I’m disappointed that the NBA still hasn’t seen fit to slot the Pacers in for 82 home games, I feel fortunate that my ever-loyal doppleganger zealously guards The Fortress of Solitude while I’m away. This is the beginning of my 25th season with the team, and it's sometimes hard for me t ...

Training camp starts in just under two weeks. On the one hand, this means the end of summer and my ongoing efforts to become a man of leisure. I like having an endless run of days to do whatever I want whenever I want—who wouldn't?—but there always comes a point where I get restless and look forward to getting back to work. This time around, there are several reasons I'm anticipating the start of another se ...