uly 9, 2008Read Matt Devlin's Blog |Devlin Bio
“I am honoured to be a part of MLSE and the Raptors organization," Devlin said. “It is a genuine privilege to have the opportunity to call Raptors games for the great fans in the Toronto area and across the nation.
“My wife and I are fortunate to have relatives living in the GTA. My family is excited to be here and we look forward to being a part of this great community.”
Devlin will call all 82 nationally televised games. He replaces Chuck Swirsky, who has joined the Chicago Bulls’ radio network.
“It’s never easy to lose a broadcaster and Raptors booster like Chuck, so we are thrilled to have been able to attract someone with Matt's experience and credibility,” said Tom Anselmi, executive vice-president and chief operating officer for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
Devlin was the first television announcer in Bobcats history, handling the duties for three seasons (2004-07). He began his NBA team broadcasting career in 2001 serving three seasons as the television play-by-play voice of the Grizzlies. He called the team’s record 50-win season and first playoff appearance in 2004.
Devlin has also worked with the NBA and its national television partners since 2002, serving as a play-by-play announcer and sideline reporter for TNT’s national coverage. He will continue to do so when his obligations with the Raptors allow. He has been a broadcaster for NBA TV since the league launched its network in October 1999, working as a studio host and play-by-play voice on game broadcasts of the regular season, playoffs, summer leagues and the WNBA. Devlin has covered many events for the NBA, including the 2003 All-Star Weekend when he co-hosted several shows live from Atlanta.
This summer he will work for NBC, broadcasting wrestling from the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Devlin handled the play-by-play duties for track and field and diving for the network’s high definition Olympic telecasts in 2004 from Athens, Greece.
Most recently, Devlin has broadcast National Football League and Major League Baseball action for Fox, as well as college basketball and baseball on the Big Ten Network.
Prior to joining the Grizzlies, Devlin called the play-by-play action for the New York Liberty of the WNBA for the MSG Network, and also was a radio pre-game and post-game host for select games on the network’s broadcasts of the New York Knicks and New York Yankees. Devlin also hosted the WNBA Draft on three occasions for the event’s live broadcast on ESPN2.
In addition to his NBA and WNBA experience, Devlin has also called college basketball and football games on ESPN, the Atlantic 10 basketball network and the MSG Network. Moreover, Devlin has announced games for the St. Louis Cardinals, the University of Connecticut Huskies, ESPN Regional, ESPN International and four minor league baseball teams.
Devlin lent his support to a variety of community initiatives on a personal and team level in Charlotte and Memphis, including the NBA’s Read to Achieve literacy program. He is a 1990 graduate of Boston College. He and his wife, Erin, have three sons, Jack, Ian and Luke.