Legendary college basketball commentator Billy Packer passed away last week at the age of 82.
Packer’s longtime CBS colleague Jim Nantz told Richard Deitsch at The Athletic that he did have a chance to speak with his good friend the day before he died.
“We talked on Wednesday night; he died on Thursday,” Nantz said. “And on Wednesday, I said to his son, Brandt, ‘If you get a chance, could you stick the phone in dad’s ear? Because I’d love to say hello.’ I tried to regale him with a few stories of shenanigans of yesteryear, and Brandt said later that Billy was smiling throughout. At the end, I told him I loved him.”
Nantz, who called NCAA tournament games alongside Packer from 1980-2008, recalled being an avid listener and follower of Packer’s when he was young. He said their initial meeting in 1979 paved the way for a friendship that blossomed over the last four decades.
“At that point, I could have never imagined that one day I would have the gift of being Billy’s partner longer than anyone — 18 of his 34 Final Fours — and that he would become so central in my life, even one day delivering a eulogy at my father’s funeral,” Nantz said.
Packer is remembered for his analysis and explanation of the game of basketball to viewers through the years. CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus likened Packer’s impact on the sport to that of the late John Madden’s in football and Vin Scully’s in baseball.
“He had a really good fundamental understanding of the game of basketball and a pretty good understanding on all the relevant players at the time,” McManus said. “When it came time to analyze a basketball game, it just flowed. It was a little bit unfiltered, which I think is for the most part good. But it was distinct.”
