The entertainment factor on Milwaukee Bucks telecasts is moving up several notches.
That much is clear after league sources indicated that former star forward Marques Johnson will be a key part of the telecast team and well-known Fox Sports announcer Gus Johnson also will have a role on Fox Sports Wisconsin telecasts during the 2015-’16 season.
Marques Johnson, who has been a lead college basketball analyst on Fox Sports for 15 years and a studio analyst for Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers broadcasts, will leave his home base in Los Angeles to do 55 Bucks telecasts this season.
Gus Johnson is scheduled for 20 games. Veteran play-by-play broadcaster Jim Paschke will be back for his 30th season, while former Buck Jon McGlocklin will work about 25 games.
Sidney Moncrief will not return as a color analyst on the telecasts but will continue to have a role with the club, a team spokesman said.
Marques Johnson said he is very excited to be coming back to the team for which he starred from 1977 through 1984. Johnson was a big part of some talented Bucks teams and averaged 21.0 points in his seven seasons in Milwaukee, the fourth-best mark in franchise history.
“It just felt right,” the 59-year-old Johnson said in a phone interview Monday night. “I feel like a prodigal son.”
Johnson has worked on a CBS morning talk radio show in Los Angeles for the past year and said he told his bosses, “This is the only situation I would have not stuck with the radio show.”
Even though both Johnsons have worked for Fox Sports, they have never worked together on a game call.
“I talked to Gus a couple weeks ago and he was really gung-ho about me doing it,” Marques said. “We’re looking to have a good time and provide some serious entertainment.”
Gus Johnson returns to call NBA action for the first time since 2010 after spending the last five years calling various sports for Fox networks, including soccer, college basketball, college football and boxing. He was the primary radio voice of the New York Knicks from 1994 to 2010 while working for the Madison Square Garden (MSG) network.
Marques Johnson said he knows a number of the Bucks players from covering them in their college days, including O.J. Mayo when he was at Southern Cal, Jerryd Bayless at Arizona and Khris Middleton at Texas A&M.
“This (Bucks) team reminds me of the green-and-growing Bucks when I was a rookie in 1977(-’78),” Johnson said. “We upset Phoenix in the first round (of the playoffs) and took David Thompson and Denver to seven (games) in the second round.”
The Bucks went on to win five division titles in Johnson’s seven years in Milwaukee.
“The vision of the ownership group (Wes Edens and Marc Lasry), everything is first-class,” Johnson said. “They’ve got some big plans.
“My main concern is I don’t break down and cry on that first broadcast. I’m afraid I’ll shed a tear; it will be so emotional.
“I’m tickled pink to be coming home.”
Credit to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 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.
