Former Bulls Announcer Jim Durham Has Died

By Chuck Sudo in News on Nov 5, 2012 7:00PM

For many of us who grew up during the Bulls early Jordan Era, Jim Durham was the voice of the team as they slowly worked their way to NBA dominance and their and their first championship. The Basketball Hall of Famer passed away Sunday at his home outside Houston. He was 65.

Mr. Durham was a native of Chicago's West side who moved to rural Donovan, Ill. to be raised by his grandmother began his early broadcasting career at WJBC radio in Bloomington, where he covered Illinois State basketball and the rise of guard Doug Collins, who would later become an NBA player and coach the Bulls on their rise to perennial contenders. He began broadcasting Bulls games in 1973 and stayed with the team as its radio and television play-by-play man through 1991—his most famous call was "The Shot." (Mr. Durham's call and Johnny Red Kerr's screams are at the 20-second point in the video below.)

The Bulls' loss became the Dallas Mavericks' gain as Mr. Durham became their play-by-play man from 1993-2001, before becoming the lead announcer for ESPN Radio's NBA broadcasts with Jack Ramsay, who said he was his best broadcast partner.

“He’s the best I’ve ever heard on radio,” said Hall of Fame coach Jack Ramsay, Durham’s long time ESPN partner. “He seems to have been taken for granted because he’s such a self effacing guy. But he has everything—the great voice, the instinct for coming to the exciting parts of the game so that you can feel it in his voice. He never misses a tip, a pass, deflection, every shot, every defensive play and with great recall. He’s just amazing. This was long overdue.”

Mr. Durham also called White Sox games during the 1989-90 season. He was awarded the Curt Gowdy Award by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.

Mr. Durham told Bulls historian Sam Smith Chicago's love for the Bulls truly began in 1976-77. that team finished the regular season on a 20-4 run and played the eventual champion Portland Trail Blazers in a tough series.

“It was all sellouts down the stretch, maybe 15 straight. We got a letter from the fire marshal saying we couldn’t announce more 20,000 [in attendance],” said Durham. “There were at least 23,000. It was a wonderful time.”

Mr. Durham returned to Chicago last year to help commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Bulls' first championship team.