Having called hundreds of games across the sports landscape over the years, you’d imagine broadcaster Sam Farber could pinpoint one or two as his favorites. Such is not the case though he says, adding it’s all about looking towards the future.
“It’s kind of corny, but it’s always the next one,” said Farber when quizzed on the topic. “I think that’s the fun thing about being a sports broadcaster. Certainly, you love to call championship games, but there’s always that potential for the next moment to be an incredible one and you get to have a part in it.”
Farber will be relocating all the way from Orange County, CA to Charlotte, NC as he gets set to become the new official radio voice of the Charlotte Hornets. Having most recently been behind the mic for ESPN and Fox Sports West’s college football, basketball and baseball coverage, his love for the industry began at an early age.
“When I was growing up, I was always a total sports fanatic and I would stay up late listening to basketball and baseball games with the radio under my pillow and the headphones in,” recalled Farber, who is originally a Bay Area native. “That wasn’t really when I thought about doing it for a living, but I think I was fully training myself to be in that kind of mindset.”
He added, “I got the tail end of the ‘Run TMC’ Golden State Warriors, with Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Don Nelson as the coach. That was the first team that I really followed. In terms of broadcasters, Jon Miller is an all-time great. Mike Patrick is my all-time favorite announcer. When I was young, I was just listening to the games. I was so into it. My wish list every holiday wasn’t so much for presents – it was for sports almanacs. I would just pour over them. I’ve always just been fascinated with sports, games and actions.”
Having ventured to the East Coast once before when he enrolled at George Washington University in Washington D.C. for undergrad, Farber was hoping to join the college tennis team at the time, but fate had other plans.
“When I couldn’t walk onto the tennis team in college, I walked into the student radio station and thought it might be something I wanted to do,” he said. “I really got serious about it then. I’ve had a blast and I’ve just been fortunate to be able to work from the student radio station up through the ranks until today.”
Farber, who also attended grad school at USC, mentions that he has visited Charlotte a handful of times and jokingly admits he’s relieved to be leaving that notorious Los Angeles traffic in the rearview mirror.
“I’m really excited to be coming and joining that community. I think it’s got a great vibrant uptown. It’s a great place to raise a family. That’s the over-whelming sentiment I’ve heard from people I worked with at ESPN. I’ve really enjoyed visiting it and hearing people say you’re going to love living there is exactly what me and wife want to hear. We just couldn’t be more excited.”
And as for the new team he’ll have the pleasure of calling games for, Farber has some familiarity with one player in particular and couldn’t be more fired up about what else lies ahead for the purple and teal.
“I think that there is so much potential with this roster,” he stated. “It’s funny being in Southern California, I was actually the broadcaster for LaMelo Ball’s Chino Hills High School team. Last time I called his games, he was 14 or 15 years old and seven or eight inches shorter. I’m excited to see him play again because it was a lot of fun the first time.”
He added, “They’ve got all these other draft picks and then Gordon Hayward is an All-Star player in his prime who is going to be a fantastic addition. Guys like Miles Bridges and PJ Washington have been in the starting lineup and are only going to continue to get better. I think there’s the potential for a really special team and I’m excited to see them make a run to get back in the playoffs and establish the foundation that’s going to make the Hornets a championship-caliber team.”