The 76ers play by play announcers list includes the likes of Al Meltzer, Bill Campbell, Ralph Lawler, and the new addition Kate Scott.
The two-time NBA Championship winners, the Philadelphia 76ers, once again came close to entering the Western Conference Finals in three consecutive seasons. But once again, failed to deliver when it mattered the most.
Powered by star players Joel Embiid and James Harden, Sixers have recently fired their coach Don Rivers. Some might compare Doc Rivers’s legacy to Jack Ramsay, the name that will pop up on this list.
In 2021, the 76ers hired Kate Scott, the first woman in Philadelphia sports history to call games. Her catchphrase was one of the highlights of the Sixers’ season, and the fans would have certainly loved it if they had the chance to listen to it in the finals.
1. Al Meltzer
Nicknamed “Big Al,” the New York-born and raised Al Meltzer became one of the prominent voices in the basketball scene during the mid-1960s.
A graduate of St. Lawrence, Al Meltzer was a star basketball player in his hometown. After receiving his degree in chemistry, Meltzer had pinned down the hopes of becoming a dentist.
But his life took a drastic route after a new TV Station in Syracuse hired him. He came to Philadelphia in the 1960s and wasn’t impressed by the city. But soon, the city of brotherly love became his home forever.
He became the voice of the 76ers in 1965 and worked for them till 1972. Meltzer saw the side lift its first championship in 1967 and witnessed the 76ers break the wall of dominance Boston Celtics had over the league.
Al worked for NBC10 for 20 years and also did play-by-play for the Eagles, Phillis, and Big Five basketball. The legendary sports broadcaster passed away in 2018 at age 89.
2. Andy Musser
If Big Al was known for his loud and powerful voice, Andy Musser was known for his calm and collective nature behind the mike.
Born 93.53 miles from Philadelphia, Musser worked for all the Philadelphia teams except the Flyers. A graduate of Syracuse University, Musser earned his degree in Communications.
Musser’s career as a play-by-play commentator began at age 28. His journey began by doing radio commentary for Philadelphia Eagles, and then he slowly branched out.
From 1965-1971 Musser worked as a play-by-play commentator for the Sixers and Big Five. Then he went on to work for CBS-TV from 1971-1974. Musser was present as a commentator for a couple of historic moments.
The first was when the 76ers won its first championship, and the second was when Phillies beat Expos to win the NL East. Before his demise in 2012 at age 74, Musser was inducted into the Hall of Fame by The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia in 2011.
3. Bill Campbell
Known as Mr. Perfectionist by his colleagues, Bill Campbell was known for his infectious energy. For Mr. Campbell, no game was less than Game 7 of the NBA finals.
He is notably known for his commentary on the Eagles beating the Green Bay Packers to win the 1960 NFL Championship. His call on Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points is forever be engrained in the memories of sports fans.
Campbell worked for the 76ers from 1972-1981 and held the position of director of broadcasting. He also worked for the Big Five and from 1952-1966 for the Eagles.
Campbell was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999 and was named the Person of The Year in 2008. The legend passed away in 2014 at 91, but his legacy continues.
Since 2016, the best of the best in the commentary field, are awarded, with Bill Campbell Broadcast Award. The inaugural year trophy went to Merrill Reese, and in 2020 WIPs Angelo Cataldi received the prestigious award.
4. Ralph Lawler
Ralph Lawler might be famous for his work with the Los Angeles Clippers, but let’s not forget he also worked for the Philadelphia teams.
Lawler came to Philadelphia in 1974 and started working for WCAUS radio. He later switched to cable sports by joining PRISM.
While working with the 76ers, he also worked for the Phillies, Flyers, and Villanova Basketball teams. Ralph worked for the Big Five and has voiced in some famous games.
After working until 1978 in Philadelphia, Lawler returned to California and became the voice of the Clippers. Ralph retired from his duties after the end of the 2018-19 season.
For 60 years, Ralph Lawler entertained various sports fans through his commentary. His famous line, “The first team to 100 points wins the game,” will go down the history.
5. Pete Gross
Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Pete Gross is a man who is famous among the Seattle Seahawks fan.
A friendship that began with the Seahawks fans in 1976, Pete Gross made his way to the ears of the 76ers fans in the 70s and 80s. A graduate of the University of Miami, Gross was famous for his swimming skills.
He worked as a sports commentator for 17 years, but his world came crashing down after a cancer diagnosis. During his duties as a commentator, Gross only missed five games. All those five games were after he was severely affected by the deadly disease.
Gross worked for KIRO 17 Radio covering University football and basketball games. His famous line includes “Touchdown Seahawks.”
The California native passed away on December 2, 1992, at 55, leaving a void in the commentary scene.
6. Jack Ramsay
Jack Ramsay not only worked as a commentator for the 76ers but was one of their general managers. Ramsay was not only a sports lover but was also a highly academically driven personality.
For Ramsay, the city of Philadelphia is close to his heart. He received his master’s and doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
One of his first professional job as a coach also came in the same state. He joined the Sixers in 1968 after parting ways with St Joseph. Under his guidance, Sixers became a strong team but not threatening enough to win the title.
He then went on to work for Buffalo Braves and joined Portland Trail Blazers in 1977. And what he couldn’t do in four seasons with Sixers, Ramsay accomplished in his first season for the Blazers, winning the NBA title.
After retiring as a coach in 1988, Ramsay joined the commentary world. He worked nine years as a color commentator for the 76ers and Heats.
Ramsay lost his battle with melanoma in 2014 at 89. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.
7. Steve Mix
If Jack Ramsay was a coach and commentator for the 76ers, then Steve Mix was a player and commentator for the NBA team.
A graduate of the University of Toledo, Steve Mix began his career in NBA with Detroit Pistons in 1969. But he didn’t find any luck as a player until he joined the 76ers in 1973.
Mix played ten seasons with the 76ers and was part of the 1975 NBA All-Star Game. He ended his playing career with the Lakers in 1983 and became the women’s coach at the University of Toledo for one season.
In 1985 he began working as a color commentator for the 76ers alongside Marc Zumoff and quit the commentary scene in the 2006 season. It was later revealed that Comcast SportsNet didn’t renew the veteran’s contract.
In 2017, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the former commentator was seen doing the job of an usher at a New York Mets game.
When asked why he was doing so, Mix said he just wanted to keep himself busy and enjoyed doing so.
8. Marc Zumoff
In 2021, after calling 2100 Sixers games and 40 years into his career, Marc Zumoff bid goodbye to the commentary world.
A student of Temple University, Marc Zumoff began his commentary career beginning Temple Owls football and basketball games. He joined the Sixers in 1994, a dream he manifested since childhood.
Zumoff grew up as a Sixers fan watching Wilt Chamberlain tear up the opposition’s defense. He won Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award 18 times in his career and worked alongside some of the great commentators of his and the generation before him.
He was the team’s voice when it was at an all-time low, but Zumoff always maintained grace and dignity in his workplace.
9. Kate Scott
In 2021, with Marc Zumoff leaving the 76ers, there were some big shoes for Kate Scott to fill. And it looks like the California native is doing just fine.
In the 2023 season, Scott came up with her first catchphrase, “Bang, bang, Georges Niang.” The phrase became so popular Sixers fans started writing it on their skin and making T-shirt designs.
After being named the Sixers’ play-by-play announcer in 2021, Scott became the second woman to be hired in that position in the same year. Lisa Byington of the Milwaukee Bucks was the first woman.
After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, with a mass communication degree in 2005, Scott worked at Pac-12 Networks for six years.
Along with working for the Sixers, Scott works as a play-by-play soccer announcer for FOX Sports and worked as an announcer for the 2021 Copa America and Gold Cups.
