Eddie Doucette, the original voice of the Milwaukee Bucks and a legendary broadcaster with over 30 years of experience calling NBA action, was named today as the recipient of the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Curt Gowdy Media Award in the Electronic Media category. Longtime NBA writer John Feinstein was also honored in the Print Media category. Doucette and Feinstein will be acknowledged for their contribution to basketball during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement events on September 7-8, 2013, in Springfield, Mass.
The Curt Gowdy Media Award is named in honor of the legendary sports broadcaster and former Hall of Fame Board member and President, the late Curt Gowdy. The prestigious award is presented annually to members of the print and electronic media whose longtime efforts have made a significant contribution to the game of basketball.
Doucette served as the voice of Bucks basketball for each of the franchise’s first 16 seasons, including the memorable 1970-71 campaign that culminated with Milwaukee’s only NBA Championship. With a colorful on-air style, Doucette painted a vivid picture for listeners during the early years of Bucks basketball. He coined many memorable phrases, including naming Lew Alcindor’s signature shot the “skyhook,” and his “Bango!” catchphrase was eventually memorialized as the name of the Bucks’ award-winning mascot.
Already a member of the Wisconsin Sports Hall of Fame, Doucette’s impact on the Milwaukee community is immeasurable. Along with Bucks legend Jon McGlocklin, Doucette helped create the MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer). Through the leadership of McGlocklin and Doucette, the MACC Fund has raised over $42 million in the fight against childhood cancer.
In addition to his work on Bucks broadcasts, Doucette has also covered the NBA for NBATV, CBS, the USA Network, and the NBA Radio Network. Doucette has also made key contributions to Major League Baseball through nearly 20 years of play-by-play work, served as the radio voice of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, and has called the action for numerous college bowl games and PGA Tour events.