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Kevin Calabro is an NBA broadcasting legend. After a 22-year run as the play-by-play broadcaster for the since-departed Seattle SuperSonics, Calabro enjoyed intermittent stints as ESPN Radio's lead announcer during the 2010s. In 2016, he took up the play-by-play gig for the Portland Trail Blazers, becoming the iconic voice behind the heyday of the Damian Lillard era.
After new contract discussions with the Trail Blazers went nowhere, that run for Calabro is, sadly, now also over. And he sounded eager to blame new Portland owner Tom Dundon for getting lowballed on his way out.
In a chat with Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, Calabro revealed he will no longer broadcast games for Portland moving forward. The reason being? Calabro was receiving "subprime" offers from the Trail Blazers he didn't appreciate. This word choice is an extremely unsubtle jab at Dundon, who built part of his wealth from subprime lending, a.k.a. giving money to people with poor credit. (Note: Subprime mortgage lending is sometimes attributed to fanning the flames of the 2008 financial crisis.)
Hoo boy. Talk about a mic drop as a parting shot:
Kevin Calabro tells me has decided to step away from Blazers broadcasting and will no longer call games for Portland.The team and its veteran play-by-play man had been in discussions on a new contract, but he called the offers "subprime" and he has decided to move on.
— Joe Freeman (@freemanjoe.bsky.social) 2026-07-22T19:11:11.769Z
Dundon, of course, has made many headlines in recent months for his brazen penny-pinching with the Trail Blazers. Some of the most recent news featured Portland giving new head coach Micah Nori just a one-year deal.
All this to say, Dundon's cheap approach has certainly not been received well by Trail Blazers fans or NBA fans in general. And if Calabro's quote says anything, it drove away a solid announcer. For what it's worth, as he told Freeman, Calabro seemed comfortable in his decision to ultimately walk away.
When you have the kind of broadcasting career he did, it's hard not to see why:
“I feel great about it,” Kevin Calabro said of his decision to leave Portland. “I was grateful to have one of 30 jobs in the league and work so close to my home in Seattle."I’ll always be a part of Blazers history. I made some great memories and some great friends."
— Joe Freeman (@freemanjoe.bsky.social) 2026-07-22T19:11:39.045Z
It's a shame Calabro's run ended sooner than it should have.
How long has Tom Dundon owned the Trail Blazers?
Dundon officially gained majority control of the Trail Blazers in late March 2026. He is also the owner of the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, a title he has held since June 2021.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Trail Blazers announcer took parting jab at Tom Dundon after rejecting paltry contract
