The Marvelous One: A Look Back at Marv Albert’s Basketball Journey

After getting his start as a ball boy for the New York Knicks, Marv Albert worked his first game as the team’s broadcaster at the age of 21, filling in for his mentor, Marty Glickman, on WCBS Radio during the 1962-63 season. Roughly four years later, he was appointed the lead voice of the Knicks on radio and TV (at the time, most of the games were not televised). In all likelihood, his most famous call was the hobbled Willis Reed’s return to action in the decisive game of the 1970 championship series.

A native of Brooklyn, Albert studied at Lincoln High School in Coney Island, where he would regularly practice calling games into a tape recorder. While attending Syracuse University, he served as the voice of the local Triple-A baseball team.

By virtue of his flair for the dramatic, ear for the perfect expression, and well-timed bursts of humor, the “Marvelous one” went on to become the lead announcer for national NBA broadcasts on NBC and TNT. The nearly ubiquitous Gotham sportscaster also did NFL, MLB, and NHL work, among a bevy of other fields. Moreover, he had a popular athletic bloopers segment on Late Night with David Letterman. Roughly 37 years after landing the Knicks job, the NYC product was let go by the franchise’s owner, James Dolan, for criticizing the team’s play on the air.

Over the course of his expansive career, Albert shared the booth with a host of prominent figures. A short list of NBA partners includes John Andariese, Walt Frazier, and Mike Fratello (“the Czar of the Telestrator”).

From a basketball standpoint, Albert is perhaps best known for the expression “yes,” with which he indicated a made hoop, most notably – “Yes and it counts and the foul!” Other catchphrases were “Oh as he hears it from the crowd;” “from way downtown;” “called for the hack,” “putting on the speed,” and “extensive garbage time.”

His brothers, Al and Steve, also enjoyed long broadcasting careers, while his son Kenny is currently in the ‘family business.’ In 2015, Marv Albert was enshrined into the Naismith Hall of Fame.