Kevin Paul Calabro (born June 27, 1956) is an American sportscaster based inSeattle,Washington. The longtime voice of the formerSeattle SuperSonics NBA franchise, Calabro has primarily called NBA basketball but has also announced collegiate football (alongsideYogi Roth) and basketball as well as MLS soccer. From 2016 to 2020, he served as the television play-by-play voice for thePortland Trail Blazers.[1] He rejoined the Portland Trail Blazers as the Play-By-Play Voice for the 2021–22 season after stepping down in 2020 to be with his family in order to avoid exposure to COVID-19.[2] As of the 2015–16 season, Calabro is the lead play-by-play announcer for NBA onESPN Radio, including NBA Finals games in 2007, 2014 and 2016 alongside personalities such asJack Ramsay andHubie Brown. Calabro has done ESPN radio play-by-play for the NBA Conference Finals for a decade in addition to being a regular contributor to TNT's NBA broadcasts. Calabro worked college basketball and football games for thePac-12 Network and postseason college basketball forWestwood One Sports, including NCAA tournament action.
Calabro is a 1974 graduate ofBen Davis High School inIndianapolis, Indiana. He called high school basketball games in Indiana onWBDG. He graduated fromButler University (1978) where he called Butler Bulldog basketball for four years. Calabro had stops in the Central Hockey League, where he broadcast games for theIndianapolis Checkers, as well as atPurdue University andUniversity of Missouri where he called basketball games. He began his professional career as the play-by-play announcer for theKansas City Kings in the1983–84 season.
In the1987–88 season, Calabro came on board with the SuperSonics alongside the SuperSonics original play-by-play announcerBob Blackburn. He became the team's sole play-by-play announcer in 1992, following the retirement of Blackburn.[3] Calabro reached a milestone 1,500 games in 2006.[4] Calabro had an option with the SuperSonics for the2008–09 season.[5] However, on April 11, 2008, Calabro stated he would not continue with the team should they relocate to Oklahoma City, which they ultimately did.[6]
The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association named him "Sportscaster of the Year" for the state ofWashington in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2006.[citation needed]
Calabro became lead play-by-play personality for theSeattle Sounders FC, aMajor League Soccer franchise, in its first year.[7]
Calabro was honored with the 2016 Keith Jackson Sports Media Excellence Award during the 81st Annual Sports Star of the Year Awards.
Calabro has done work on the national level withTNT,TBS,ESPN Radio, andNBA TV. He has also lent his voice to severalMicrosoft games, includingNBA Inside Drive,NBA Full Court Press, andNFL Fever and more recently has been the play-by-play voice of the SonyPlayStation NBA game franchise.
Calabro's brother,David Calabro, is a sportscaster and the sports director with the NBC-affiliate stationWTHR in Indianapolis, as well as the public address announcer at theIndianapolis Motor Speedway.