Phoenix Suns television play-by-play voice Steve Albert announced his retirement today following an award-winning 45-year broadcasting career. Albert has called the action for all Suns broadcasts on FOX Sports Arizona the past five seasons.
“We were very fortunate five years ago to bring in someone of Steve’s caliber and experience, and in the time since, his tireless preparation and infectious personality brought Suns fans watching on TV much closer to the action,” said Suns President, Jason Rowley. “While we will miss his superb talent and witty delivery, our Suns family congratulates Steve on an extraordinary career and we wish him nothing but the best in his retirement.”
Albert joined the Suns in 2012 following an extensive television and radio career that spanned multiple sports. The accomplished broadcaster spent 13 years as the voice of the New Jersey Nets, five years as the television play-by-play announcer for the Golden State Warriors and a season with the New Orleans Hornets. Albert is also well known for his work as one of boxing’s top play-by-play announcers, having called some of the biggest fights in the history of the sport, including both Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson fights, during 24 years on the microphone for Showtime Championship Boxing.
Albert was also a presence on the New York sports landscape for decades, having done play-by-play for Major League Baseball’s New York Mets, pro football’s New York Jets and the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils.
Albert began his broadcasting career while attending Kent State University, where he started as a part-time play-by-play announcer for the Springfield Kings of the American Hockey League. Albert received a Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunications from Kent State, and then began announcing games for the Cleveland Crusaders of the World Hockey Association and hosting a pre-game show for the Cleveland Indians.
In 2007, Albert was inducted into the esteemed World Boxing Hall of Fame and also won the coveted Sam Taub Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism from the Boxing Writers Association of America. He was twice named Announcer of the Year by the International Boxing Federation.