Chris Broussard | |
|---|---|
 Broussard in 2019 | |
| Born | (1968-10-28)October 28, 1968 (age 57) Baton Rouge,Louisiana, U.S. |
| Education | Oberlin College |
| Occupation(s) | Sports columnist, TV sports color analyst, TV personality |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Basketball career | |
| Career information | |
| High school | Holy Name High School (Parma Heights, Ohio) |
| College | Oberlin College |
| Position | Point guard |
Christopher Dana Broussard (born October 28, 1968) is an American sports analyst and commentator forFox Sports 1 (FS1) and Fox Sports Radio. Best known for his coverage of theNBA, he is now a co-host on FS1's afternoon showFirst Things First, as well as co-host ofThe Odd Couple withRob Parker on Fox Sports Radio. Previously, he worked forThe New York Times,ESPN The Magazine andESPN.com, and made appearances on ESPN'sSportsCenter,NBA Countdown,First Take, andNBA Fastbreak as an analyst.
Broussard was born inBaton Rouge,Louisiana, and is an African American ofLouisiana Creole descent.[1] Due to his father's job as a personnel manager for Traveler's Insurance Co., Broussard and his family moved often during his childhood. He lived inCincinnati, Ohio;Indianapolis, Indiana;Syracuse, New York;Des Moines, Iowa; andCleveland, Ohio, before finishing high school. In 1986, he graduated fromHoly Name High School, a private Catholic school in the Cleveland suburb,Parma Heights, Ohio. A standout football and basketball player at Holy Name, Broussard was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2016. He went toOberlin College, from which he graduated in May 1990 with a bachelor's degree in English.[2] He playedpoint guard on the Oberlin basketball team.[3]
In 1990, Broussard began his sports writing career forThe Plain Dealer.[4] He worked there for four years before moving to theAkron Beacon Journal where he started covering the NBA, spending two-and-a-half seasons with them as theCleveland Cavaliers beat writer. Broussard then went on to work forThe New York Times in 1998, where he covered theNew Jersey Nets for two years, theNew York Knicks for three years, and the NBA in general for one year.[2] In September 2004 Broussard joinedESPN The Magazine.
In 2004, in addition to his writing duties, Broussard began making regular appearances on ESPN as an NBA insider and analyst, and occasionally as a panelist onFirst Take debating sports topics withSkip Bayless. For the2011–12 NBA season, Broussard was added toABC'sNBA Countdown pregame show as an NBA insider. He also spent three years as a sideline reporter for nationally televised games on ESPN and ABC.
In April 2013, Broussard was criticized for comments he made on an ESPNOutside the Lines program about NBA playerJason Collins coming out as homosexual.[5] Broussard had expressed his views on homosexuality and other sexual behaviors that he characterized as sins, stating "If you're openly living in unrepentant sin...I believe that's walking in open rebellion to God."[6] He later released a statement clarifying his remarks, saying that he had merely offered his "personal opinion as it relates to Christianity," and conceded that he realizes "that some people disagree with my opinion and I accept and respect that."[7][8]
In October 2016, Broussard left ESPN for Fox Sports 1. He has stated that he left ESPN because the network's offer to return would have relegated him strictly to a reporter's role. At that stage of his career, he found FS1's offer to be more of a commentator, analyst and personality more appealing. At FS1, Broussard is a regular panelist onSkip and Shannon: Undisputed,The Herd with Colin Cowherd,First Things First, andLock It In.[9] On August 30, 2021, Broussard became co-host ofFirst Things First, replacing former NFL wide receiverBrandon Marshall.
In 2018, Broussard became co-host of a daily national radio show calledThe Odd Couple. His co-host isRob Parker, another FS1 sports analyst.The Odd Couple can be heard on FOX Sports Radio and Sirius XM Channel 83.
During an appearance onFirst Things First in October 2023, Broussard used theslur "retarded" while defendingJames Harden in reference toNick Wright's statement regarding Harden's response to a trade sending him from thePhiladelphia 76ers to theLos Angeles Clippers. He corrected himself saying "developmentally disabled" and apologized saying he had a cousin with developmental disabilities, who recently died.[10]
He has been married to his wife, Crystal, since 1995. The couple has twin daughters named Alexis and Noelle.[2]
He has spoken publicly about his Christian faith, which he has had since 1989.[11] He was raisedCatholic.[12]
In addition to his work as a sports commentator, Broussard is the Founder and President of The K.I.N.G. Movement, a national Christian men's organization that seeks to strengthen men in their Christian faith and lifestyle by providing support, accountability, teaching, fellowship and brotherhood. K.I.N.G. is an acronym that stands for Knowledge, Inspiration, and Nurture through God. It has chapters in various cities.[citation needed]
In 2023, Broussard collaborated with theInstitute of World Politics Chair of Law and Human RightsMatthew Daniels to release a six part Bible study based on the life, teachings, and biblical principles ofMartin Luther King Jr. endorsed byAndrew Young and distributed byUrban Ministries and a subsidiary ofHarperCollins.[citation needed]
