PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Legendary sportscaster Marc Zumoff, the voice of the 76ers, is retiring.
Zumoff has covered the Sixers for nearly 40 years, 27 of which as the team’s television play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports Philadelphia. He called more than 2,100 games across regular seasons and playoffs and served as the voice behind the careers of many 76ers stars, including Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala, Allen Iverson, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
In a letter on NBC Sports Philadelphia, he said the reason for his retirement is to spend more time with his wife and family and also enjoy the “fourth quarter” of life.
“If life is a basketball game, I’m into the fourth quarter!” he wrote. “I’d like to play a musical instrument, learn to speak a foreign language, cook, travel, and by all means give back with my time and strength to the charitable causes that I hope will make for a better world. There’s a lot out there for me to still do, and I want to do it all while I’m still able.”
“We sincerely thank Marc Zumoff for all he’s done for this organization, this team and the city of Philadelphia over the last 27 years,” 76ers managing partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer said in a statement. “We’ll miss his iconic voice and trademark sayings, which have been staples during 76ers games for the better part of two decades.”
Brand said Zumoff has been “synonymous with 76ers basketball.”
“You’re part of the fabric of Philadelphia,” he said. “You provided more than just facts and stats. You captured the moments in a way that people who live and breathe Philadelphia sports really loved.”
Zumoff, a Philly native and Temple University alumnus, joined PRISM in 1982 as the in-studio host for pregame, halftime and postgame shows. He became the play-by-play announcer in 1994.
He won the Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award for best sports play-by-play broadcaster 19 times and was twice named Pennsylvania Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.
The team plans to honor Zumoff at a home game during the 2021-22 season.
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