FOX Sports Southeast, entering its eighth year as the Charlotte Hornets regional television partner, announced today it will have a three-person telecast team for the Hornets upcoming 2015-16 regular season. Broadcasting veteran Eric Collins joins the FOX Sports Southeast telecast team as the new Hornets play-by-play announcer. He will be partnered with Stephanie Ready,who will become the first full-time female NBA game analyst and former Hornets standout Dell Curry, who returns to FOX Sports Southeast as a game analyst.
Long-time announcer Collins joins the network following time with FOX Sports and FOX Sports 1 as a play-by-play announcer for Big East college basketball, college football and Major League Baseball. He has also called games for ABC Sports, the Big Ten Network, ESPN, NBC Sports and served as an in-game reporter for the Chicago Bulls on FOX Sports Net Chicago.
“I couldn’t possibly be more excited to return to the NBA under the absolute best of circumstances,” said Collins. “I’m thrilled to work with Dell and Stephanie covering an organization on the rise. This is going to be special.”
Ready will be entering her 12th season with the Hornets telecasts. She was previously the host of Hornets LIVE! and an in-game sideline reporter. Prior to her broadcasting career, Ready was an assistant coach in the WNBA and the NBA D-League, making her the first woman to coach a men’s professional sports team. Ready also spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball program at Coppin State University, becoming the first female to hold the position of full-time recruiting assistant on an NCAA Division I men’s basketball staff.
“I’ve had a love affair with the game of basketball for as long as I can remember, both as a player and a coach. I’m honored and excited to be able to share my passion for this sport with our audience,” said Ready. “FOX Sports and the Hornets have always taken pride in being innovative and forward-thinking. I’m extremely proud to be a part of history.”
Curry returns to FOX Sports Southeast for his seventh season as game analyst. A member of the original Hornets team in 1988-89, Curry is the all-time leader in scoring and games played for the franchise. In 2015, he was named a Hornets Ambassador and Special Projects Advisor.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of the new Hornets announce team on FOX Sports Southeast alongside Eric and Stephanie,” said Curry. “Eric is a seasoned pro behind the mic and with our combined experience on the court, Stephanie and I will provide fans with insightful analysis to complement Eric’s play-by-play.”
The Hornets LIVE! pregame and postgame show will return this season with Collins, Curry and Ready at the desk. The show will continue to provide viewers with expert analysis, exclusive interviews, and special features for every telecast.
“With national sports broadcaster Eric Collins making his debut as the Hornets play-by-play announcer, Stephanie Ready moving to the broadcast booth with her unique X’s and O’s insight and Hornets all-time leading scorer Dell Curry returning with his player perspective, this will be a milestone season in Hornets television coverage,” said Jeff Genthner, senior vice president and general manager, FOX Sports Southeast. “We could not be more proud of making history with our local NBA telecasts right here in Charlotte.”
“We are excited to welcome Eric to the Hornets and the Charlotte community,” said Hornets President & COO Fred Whitfield. “He brings experience, versatility and a strong play-by-play call to our broadcasts. Our re-vamped Hornets telecast with a three-person booth of Eric, Dell and Stephanie will provide our viewers with even more insight, knowledge and expertise. We are proud to have two talented basketball analysts in Dell, a former player, and Stephanie, a former coach, and be able to utilize their collective strengths to benefit our fans.”
Credit to Hornets.com who originally published this article
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
