Longtime Golden State Warriors broadcaster Jim Barnett moves to radio
Today, the Golden State Warriors broke the news that Jim Barnett, the color analyst for their TV broadcasts, would be replaced this season.
After 34 years broadcasting games for the Golden State Warriors, Jim Barnett has been unseated as the voice of basketball knowledge on TV and moves to the radio side of the scorer’s table, joining Tim Roye.
In the press release that the team tweeted, Rick Welts, Warriors President and COO, touched on the value of Barnett’s 11-year playing career in the NBA with seven different teams, one of those being the Golden State Warriors.
The former shooting guard who generated the “Rip City” moniker for the Portland Trail Blazers, he played all over the country, and was an endearing and knowledgeable voice for Warriors fans in the Bay Area and around the globe.
To many, he is the only color analyst fans have known, as he started his broadcasting career with the team in 1984. He had the opportunity to see several different eras of Warriors basketball from Sleepy Floyd in the late 80’s to Run TMC, “We Believe” and the “Strength in Numbers” dynasty.
He will be replaced by Kelenna Azubuike, another former Warrior and member of the “We Believe” Era, but still remain on the sidelines as he moves down a few seats.
Azubuike comes from four years of experience doing the pre- and post-game shows on NBC Sports Bay Area, and his five year NBA-career should serve him well.
In an interesting decision by the team, Barnett will open the season as the TV color analyst and do one final game, the first at the Chase Center. It’s only fitting that the new era in the new building is brought in by such a longtime great.
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He will always be remembered on TV as the modest, conservative voice with great stories and tidbits on the league. After game 1, he’ll be able to be heard on 95.7 The Game.