As Michael Grady took his seat in the next room, Minnesota Timberwolves The constant dribbling of a basketball can be heard through the walls on the practice field. On the other side, D’Angelo Russell, Jaden McDaniels, naz reed And a handful of wolves doing late-night workouts and unwittingly was the boy he grew up in Indiana while Reggie Miller threw everything he had at Michael Jordan We provide the soundtrack that has driven Grady’s life ever since.
The son of Indianapolis provides the voice of Minneapolis. Bally Sports North employs Grady. recently, brooklyn nets Broadcast team, as its new Timberwolves play-by-play. Grady will replace longtime voice actor Dave Benz. contract was not renewed Earlier this summer after calling the Wolves game for ten years.
Grady came to Minnesota from Brooklyn and has spent the last five years on the Nets’ acclaimed YES Network broadcast serving as a sideline reporter, pre- and post-game host, and occasional commentator. He takes a high-profile position on BSN at an important time for the franchise. Wolves finished his season of Renaissance, Summer’s Biggest Dealbrought blockbuster Rudy Gobert From Utah to Minnesota with the goal of making the Wolves a Western Conference contender.
“I know the fanbase is already excited about what this team will be, and I’m excited to fan that flame,” Grady said. athletic“I’m happy to be part of this community. It means a lot to me.”
When I was young, I was a radio program producer. Pacers He landed a job as a host inside the arena and eventually an Indy TV station, appearing in coveted places with the Nets broadcast crew. Grady called 10–12 games per season for the Nets while filling in for Ian Eagle, one of the most revered voices in the game. The way he built relationships with coaches and players, and how he prepared for broadcasts, resonated with color analyst Sarah Kustock, who worked as a sideline reporter before Grady joined the company. did.
“Few professionals can match Michael Grady in terms of his versatility, work ethic, and how much heart and soul he puts into his craft,” Kustok said.
This is a bold decision for Barry and the Timberwolves, plucking up-and-coming figures in favor of more established voices. They put up a wide net for several months, including popular pre- and post-game host Marnie Gerner. I wanted to make the most of it, so I finally dropped her name from consideration before my job interview. athletic.
Choosing Grady aligns with the vision of new Wolves minority owners Mark Roar and Alex Rodriguez (whose relationship with the YES network helped Grady with his homework as the Wolves roamed a pile of resumes). I’m here. They have cultivated a risk-taking spirit, as evidenced by the hiring of Tim Connery to run the basketball business and the hotly debated deal with Gobert. Barry and the Wolves decided to move on from Benz, but the move was met with strong backlash from fans who were used to calling the game Benz and Jim Petersen.
“I know fans are upset that Dave Benz is not retained, but this is the best-case scenario,” Petersen said. “Ian Eagle, Sarah Kustok and Richard Jefferson are some of the best guys in the league. NBA His talent as a broadcaster in this league. “
Grady grew up in Indianapolis during the Pacers’ heyday when Miller and Mark Jackson were battling Jordan. bulls and Patrick Ewing Knicks For Eastern Conference supremacy. Seeing his Midwestern team overlooked and discounted in favor of a larger market team instilled in him a sense of rebellion—audacity, as he liked to call it.
“you lakers When golden state And these big markets and these teams with players with familiar names,” said Grady. “You said Minnesota is competing with them, and some people may not take that seriously. To be a part of fueling what this franchise is building is something I take very seriously and I’m really excited about.”
Grady set his sights on a broadcasting career when he saw Bob Costas declare the Bulls victorious. utah jazz at the 1998 NBA Finals. He wanted to combine his knowledge of Kostas’ organization with Ahmad Rashad’s enthusiastic personality. He left Warren his junior year at Central High School so he could call football and basketball games on the school’s radio station, then studied broadcast journalism at Vincennes College. He joined his WIBC in Indy as a producer and eventually started hosting his radio show for Sports He Talks, as well as the Pacers where he also served as an in-arena host for games. His big break came in his 2014. That’s when the Indianapolis 500 hogged so much bandwidth that thin TV stations needed another organization to cover the Pacers in the playoffs.
The Pacers Atlantabeat Washington in the semi-finals lebron jamesDwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, miami heat Up to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Deep His run gave Grady the opportunity to build a reel, which he used to sign a deal to stay on staff.
In 2017, he got a call to go to New York and left his hometown to pursue his dream of becoming an established NBA voice. He quickly formed friendships with Eagle, Kustok, Jefferson, and his producer Frank DiGraci, endearing himself to his serious work ethic and genuine interest in the humanity behind it.
“He may be an Indianapolis kid and from the Midwest, but[but]he was born for the concrete jungle,” Kustok said. “Nothing upset him. He was cool and calm every moment.”
Grady has called and even called 10-12 games each season as a play-by-play commentator. WNBAMore game.last season he Kyrie IrvingThe 60 Point Game of OrlandoKustok, an acclaimed color analyst, said calling the game next to a close friend helped feed his enthusiasm.
“He’s so passionate and enthusiastic. It’s like sitting next to a little kid and watching him open presents on Christmas morning,” Kustok said. I don’t take things for granted and I love games.
“He always made my job as easy as possible because he put everything into it.”
“I don’t think I stepped into any broadcast when a young Michael Grady was sitting six inches away from the TV in his tube socks and watching my favorite team make every move.” said Grady.
Gobert and Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns And Russell, who has known Grady since their time together in Brooklyn, the Timberwolves have one of the most formidable rosters in the West. Benz was known for the “Ant Facts” gimmick that comes after most Edwards highlight plays, but Grady said he’s still workshopping catchphrase ideas with his family.
“I’m going to be tested on Cole. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said. “I’m really excited to be in this fanbase household. I take it very seriously.”
Grady met his wife Erica in New York and has a 17-year-old stepson, Tai. The family dynamic made Grady think seriously about leaving New York for a long time. Ultimately, his pitch from Bally and the Wolves, which included meetings with CEO Ethan Casson and his COO Ryan Tanke, helped him take the leap.
“I’m so proud and happy for him,” said Erica, who sat next to Grady at the practice facility. As a human being, he deserves this and Minnesota deserves you.”
A family comes to a community still grappling with fallout from the riots following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. He said he plans to join the community soon.
“I want to stand out and be part of the progress of hope,” he said. If you put it, not necessarily on air, but within the community, not just with people of my ethnic background, but with people of other backgrounds, light things, light things, beacons, that’s important to me. is.”
Grady and his family have been on an emotional roller coaster over the past few weeks. They’re overjoyed at the opportunity he’s seized, one that speaks for the Western Conference’s rising team in a community that fits his Midwestern sensibilities. He has worked hard for years to get an opportunity like this. It’s easy to see the euphoria that comes with his smile as he tries to clarify what this means. But he’s also speaking just two days after the funeral of his mother, Mavis Grady, who died after a five-year battle with cancer.
Mavis was a big Michael fan. He recently recalled a story about his mother going to a dentist’s appointment in the building that used to be the Taco Bell where he worked when he was younger. She told his receptionist that his son used to work in this building, and the receptionist asked if he still worked at Taco Bell. I submitted my long resume.
“What brings me joy and brings a smile to my face is knowing how proud she is of me,” said Grady. She was embarrassed about how proud I was of all that I had achieved. I know she’s excited when I see her.
At her funeral, Grady told the story of a woman who was “gentle, caring, and gentle,” but also “tough, hard-nosed, and competitive.” He told her middle school stories and she challenged him to a horse match.
“She spanked my butt that day,” said Grady. She said, “That competitive edge of hers that didn’t allow her young son to be spoiled was there throughout her life and through her battle with cancer that lasted for five years.”
Mavis had already passed away when Michael officially agreed to join BSN and the Timberwolves, but he knows his son is a strong woman watching to pull it all together.
“She loved her family dearly,” said Grady. “I hold on to those happy memories, but I know she is very proud of the position her son has stepped into.”
(Top photo credit: Michael Grady)
