There have been 260 players to don a Bucks uniform since the start of the 1986-87 season, but the pair of voices bringing the action to living rooms across the state has never changed. With Jim Paschke and Jon McGlocklin now in their 30th season of calling Bucks action together, the team, along with FOX Sports Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, today announced a special celebration on Thursday, March 17, to honor the contributions of this longtime broadcasting duo to the Bucks and basketball in Wisconsin. Fans at that night’s game vs. Memphis will be treated to a special halftime ceremony honoring the pair, while viewers throughout the FOX Sports Wisconsin coverage area will be treated to a night full of special tributes to the iconic Bucks broadcasters.
“Jim and Jon are part of the fabric of Bucks basketball,” Bucks President Peter Feigin said. “Fans throughout Wisconsin have experienced some of the best moments in team history through the prism of Jim and Jon’s memorable calls. Their professionalism, insight, candor and wit are unmatched in the field, and we’re all so fortunate to have had them behind the mic for the last 30 years.”
The Paschke and McGlocklin tandem of 30 years makes them the second-longest tenured television broadcast team in the NBA, an accomplishment recognized across the league.
“Thirty years together as a broadcasting team is a historic achievement and a testament to Jim and Jon’s hard work and dedication to their craft,” NBA Sr. Vice President of Broadcasting Tom Carelli said. “The duo’s contributions to the league are immeasurable and they’ve done an impeccable job sharing the Bucks and the NBA with fans throughout Wisconsin and around the world. The entire NBA family sends congratulations on this well-deserved honor.”
The special halftime ceremony during the March 17 game will be emceed by the original radio voice of the Bucks, Eddie Doucette, and include a tribute video featuring congratulatory messages from throughout the league. Fans tuning in to that night’s FOX Sports Wisconsin telecast will see the halftime ceremony in its entirety, while also being treated to additional video features throughout the game highlighting the legacy Paschke and McGlocklin have forged on Bucks broadcasts, including some of their most memorable calls and stories from former Bucks players and broadcasting colleagues.
Paschke’s distinguished broadcasting career began in radio and has also included television roles as the sports director at WMTV in Madison and WITI in Milwaukee. In addition to his 30 years as the TV voice of the Bucks, Paschke has called the action for University of Wisconsin football and basketball, Brewers baseball, Admirals hockey and Marquette basketball games. Paschke is a member of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, the Milwaukee Press Club Media Hall of Fame and an inductee to the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences prestigious Silver Circle.
Known as the “Original Buck,” McGlocklin has been a part of the franchise since its inception. The starting shooting guard during the Bucks’ inaugural season, McGlocklin played eight years in a Milwaukee uniform, including the 1971 NBA Championship campaign. His number 14 was retired in 1976 in recognition of his many on-court contributions to the franchise. McGlocklin joined the broadcast team immediately following his playing career, while also teaming with Doucette to found the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund, which has contributed more than $50 million in the fight against childhood cancer.
Paschke and McGlocklin are three-time winners of regional Emmy Awards for their work together on Bucks broadcasts.
FOX Sports Wisconsin reaches more than 1.5 million homes and telecasts nearly 2,600 hours of locally produced programming per year. For more information on the Emmy Award-winning regional sports network, visit: www.foxsportswisconsin.com.
The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (WBA) represents, supports and promotes Wisconsin’s over 400 free, over-the-air radio and television stations, which employ more than 5,000 Wisconsinites. The WBA’s membership is comprised of 98 percent of all radio and televisions stations in Wisconsin, as well as associate member companies who provide services to the state’s broadcasting industry. For more information, visit: www.wi-broadcasters.org.