Most Biased NBA Announcers: The Top 15 Broadcasters Who Favor One Team Over Another
NBA announcers can often make a difference between an enjoyable game and an awful one. Many of them have spent decades covering their teams, which is why they are very biased and favor their teams.
Being unbiased is quite difficult since most NBA announcers are also fans. However, some announcers take it too far and make the watching experience very unpleasant for the opposing fans.
Nationally televised games are usually much better in terms of commentary. Unfortunately, this isn't the case for local broadcasts, which mostly favor their teams.
Here are some of the most biased NBA announcers:
#1 - Austin Carr
Austin Carr is a true homer. He serves as a color commentator for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but many fans can't stand him. The announcer is very biased and doesn't even try to hide it.
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Carr is a former NBA player who spent the majority of his professional career with the Cavs. Due to this, it's no surprise that he's a big fan of the team and that he's very passionate about it. However, basketball fans would prefer him to tone it down.
#2 - Tommy Heinsohn
Tommy Heinsohn is another former player who became an announcer. During his playing career, Heinsohn won eight rings with the Boston Celtics. He was also victorious twice as a coach.
After his retirement from professional basketball, Heinsohn became an NBA announcer. He spent over three decades being a color commentator for the Celtics, but was extremely biased.
Despite his bias, Heinsohn is a big part of Celtics history. He passed away in November 2020, but his legacy will never be forgotten.
#3 - Bill Land
When it comes to biased NBA announcers, it's hard not to mention Bill Land. He's worked as a play-by-play commentator for the San Antonio Spurs for over two decades and is familiar with the team.
Land is a great announcer if you're a Spurs fan, but almost every other fanbase dislikes him. He's not a big fan of other teams and barely focuses on opposing players, which makes Spurs' local broadcasts quite unenjoyable.
#4 - Brian Davis
The OKC Thunder were a powerhouse in the early 2010s. With Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, the team managed to advance to the 2012 NBA Finals. During this time, the team was covered by Brian Davis, a play-by-play commentator.
Davis had a lot of energy, but he was very much into the Thunder. What made the situation worse is that he described Westbrook as playing "out of his cotton-picking mind" in 2018. Due to this, the NBA announcer was suspended by the Thunder, and his contract was not renewed after the season ended.
#5 - Michael Cage
Michael Cage is another former player who is now an announcer. He is also another biased commentator for the OKC Thunder. Cage played for five different teams during his NBA career from 1984 to 2000. However, he spent the majority of his career with the Seattle SuperSonics, who later moved to Oklahoma.
The former player is one of the most biased NBA announcers at the moment. He is so biased that even Thunder fans complained about him. Cage loves praising Thunder players, even if they do something wrong, which can be quite annoying.
#6 - Stacey King
Stacey King's playing career began in Chicago with the Bulls. The big man ended up winning three championship rings with the team, playing next to Michael Jordan and other great stars.
Considering his ties to the Bulls, it's easy to see why King is one of the most biased NBA announcers. The former player is sometimes more of a fan than an announcer, which isn't something that makes him popular among other fanbases.
#7 - Bob Fitzgerald
The Golden State Warriors have been one of the most hated teams for almost a decade. Their acquisition of Kevin Durant in 2016 didn't help their case, as they formed one of the toughest super teams of all time.
Bob Fitzgerald, who has worked for the team for more than two decades, didn't help them either. While some neutral fans loved watching the Warriors dominate the rest of the league, Fitzgerald's biased commentary made their games much worse.
#8 - Mike Rice
Mike Rice has a lot of basketball experience. He was a player who was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1962, but he decided to become a coach instead. After his coaching career, Rice became a broadcaster.
Rice worked for the Portland Trail Blazers as both a radio commentator and a color commentator later on. He was so biased that he made history by becoming the only broadcaster to be ejected from an NBA game.
Back in 1994, Rice complained about a call on the floor, which is why he was ejected by Steve Javie.
#9 - Alaa Abdelnaby
Alaa Abdelnaby is a basketball veteran who played for nine teams during his professional career. He also spent five years in the NBA, ending his career in the United States with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Abdelnaby is now a broadcaster for his last NBA team, but he's very biased. Alaa often goes over the top with his comments and even many Sixers fans are aware of his homerism.
#10 - Bill Worrell
Bill Worrell was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He has strong ties to the city, which is why it's no surprise that he was a broadcaster for its NBA team. Worrell also covered the Houston Astros, a baseball team, for two decades.
Worrell worked for the Houston Rockets for more than four decades. He's a legend of the team, but his commentary is not something many opposing fans enjoy.
#11 - Eric Collins
NBA announcers are not only biased toward top-tier teams. Eric Collins, who covers the Charlotte Hornets, is proof. He's worked for the team for less than a decade, yet is one of the most biased commentators in the entire league.
Collins has made watching the Hornets nearly insufferable, so one can only imagine how biased he would be if Charlotte had a deep playoff run.
#12 - Michael Smith
Watching the Lob City Clippers was a lot of fun. Chris Paul was an incredible playmaker, while Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan loved throwing down lobs. However, the presence of Michael Smith made their broadcasts quite insufferable.
Smith knows what it takes to play in the NBA as he was a professional player. However, many basketball fans did not like his commentary. While Smith praised other teams as well, he had a massive bias towards the Clippers.
#13 - Jack Armstrong
The Toronto Raptors became one of the most popular basketball teams in 2019. Led by Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors won the championship, beating the heavily-favored Warriors. However, this playoff run also put Jack Armstrong into the spotlight.
Armstrong has been an announcer for more than two decades, but he seems to only be liked by Raptors fans. His strong bias towards Toronto's basketball team makes him one of the worst NBA announcers to listen to, at least for the other 29 fanbases.
#14 - Ralph Lawler
Ralph Lawler covered the LA Clippers for four decades. During this period, he only missed four games, which was very impressive. However, Lawler's commentary wasn't always enjoyable by other fanbases.
Not only was Lawler biased, but many fans did not like his "bingo" references when players made three-point shots.
#15 - Hubie Brown
Hubie Brown has a lot of experience in basketball. Not only was he a player and a coach, but he's also a broadcaster. Brown's impressive career earned him a spot in the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame.
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While Brown is a neutral announcer, he is mostly biased toward underdogs. However, this is generally something that many basketball fans enjoy, which is why Brown has become one of the most enjoyable NBA announcers.