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Long-time broadcaster Kevin Calabro is parting ways with the Portland Trail Blazers organization and his role as the team’s television play-by-play voice, The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman reported.
Calabro’s contract had been up for renewal this summer, but he told Freeman the Trail Blazers’ new contract offers weren’t good enough to retain his services.
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.
He made it clear to Freeman that he is not retiring, and he already has conversations lined up with other NBA teams about job opportunities. He also reflected on his time in Portland.
“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.”
Calabro, 70, was hired as the Blazers TV play-by-play announcer in June 2016, and he served in the position alongside color commentator Lamar Hurd for nine seasons. Following the league’s temporary pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, Calabro stepped away from the team for the 2020-21 season to spend time with family, but returned to his position the following season. Calabro and Hurd, who was also hired in the summer of 2016, replaced the television broadcast team of Mike Barrett and Mike Rice.
Calabro arrived in Portland with a legendary track record in the industry. He served as the TV and radio voice of the Seattle SuperSonics from 1987 to 2008, but departed the role when the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City. In between his tenures with the two Pacific Northwest NBA franchises, Calabro worked for various national media outlets, including ESPN Radio and Turner Broadcasting.
Calabro’s departure is the latest and most high-profile development in the Trail Blazers organization’s slashing of the broadcast team this week under new owner Tom Dundon. TV analyst Michael Holton and statistician Tom Haberstroh, as well as TV hosts Neil Everett and Jamie Hudson have all been let go, Maury Brown of Forbes reported Tuesday night. Several behind-the-scenes roles have also been cut, Brown reported.
The Trail Blazers have made a statement on the broadcast cuts, Freeman reported:
“We are deeply grateful to all the hard-working individuals who have contributed to our award-winning broadcasts over the years. I can’t comment on individual personnel decisions, but I can confirm that we are making changes for the upcoming season as we continue to evolve with the changes in the broadcast industry and look to become more efficient in our business operations. While plans are still being finalized, play-by-play radio broadcasts will continue in the 2026-27 season, and will not be television simulcasts.”
UPDATE: Earlier today, this article cited a report saying Trail Blazers’ radio play-by-play announcer Travis Demers is no longer a team employee after his contract expired on June 30, and he also won’t return to his role next season. While Demers’ contract did expire, it’s still possible he returns as the Blazers’ radio play-by-play voice, just with a significantly lower pay and a different employer, according to The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman.
Demers also is positioned to return, a source with knowledge of those negotiations said. However, the deal is expected to come with a significant pay cut of “more than 50%.” . …
Demers could return in his role, though his salary would be paid for by iHeartRadio and not the team, sources said. As a result, it would come with a significant pay cut that one source called “a slap in the face.” Demers, who has called Blazers games for seven seasons, could also be a candidate to replace Calabro, a team source said.
