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After 35 years and calling over 2,600 NBA games, veteran NBA play-by-play announcer Kevin Calabro is “taking a break from the thing that I love to do most in the world” to focus on his family and his health.
The 64-year-old bombastic broadcaster with the signature catchphrases, “Flying chickens in the barnyard!” and “Get on a magic carpet ride!” parted ways with the Portland Trail Blazers, ending a four-year tenure with the organization.
“With everything that’s going on with COVID and everything that’s happening, I just decided this is a good time to step away,” Calabro said during a telephone interview Wednesday. “We’ve made a lot of sacrifices during this long and crazy ride. We’ve been apart for birthdays, holidays and everything. I just turned 64 and my wife is 67. We’re in great health, but we’ve got some things happening in family that I want to be a part of.
“And we got enough acorns in the nest, so I just decided let’s back off for a while.”
Calabro, the voice of the Sonics from 1987 to 2008, took over the TV play-by-play duties for the Blazers ahead of the 2016-17 season.
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