PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The new voice of the Philadelphia 76ers made her debut Thursday night with these words:
"Everyone, welcome to the floor here at the Center. ... My name is Kate Scott, and I am so honored and just incredibly pleased to be sitting where Marc [Zumoff] sat for 27 years and looking forward to having a whole lot of fun with [Alaa Abdelnaby] and hopefully all of you for a very long time."
Scott's first call for NBC Sports Philadelphia was a good night for the Sixers. They took down the Raptors 125-113 in preseason action at Wells Fargo Center. Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris were back. Doc Rivers was pleased. And Shake Milton got to start at point guard with Ben Simmons holding out.
Speaking to NBC 10 before the game started, Scott said she couldn't wait to get started.
"It's just like being an athlete when you're an announcer. We just want to tip off and get things going," she said. "But as somebody who, obviously, grew up on the other side of the country in California, just moved out here a couple weeks ago, I have had so much admiration and respect for how much this town cares about their sports teams."
She said Philly has been friendly — so far.
"I think you all like to project this really tough, we-don't-want-you-here kind of vibe, but I think it's just to keep property values down, because everybody has been so kind and welcoming to me and I'm having a blast already," she said.
"I'm sure things will change when I mess up tonight and everybody thinks I suck, and then the real Philly will come out, but so far it's been awesome, and I feel like I've been here for a lot longer than two weeks."
Scott is the first female play-by-play announcer in Philly sports history, but it's just one more first for her. She was the first woman to call an NFL game on the radio. She was the play-by-play announcer with the first all-female NHL broadcast in the U.S. And she announced basketball play-by-play for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The Sixers have been on her mind for a long time. She told NBC 10 that she would think of Allen Iverson while she was playing hoops in her driveway.
"I just love that he was too short, he was too small, he didn't belong. Right? You all heard that. And what did he do? He led you all to the NBA Finals [in 2001]. He was named MVP of the league. And, as somebody who, since the time I was a little girl, has heard 'Go play something else,' 'Go do ballet,' 'Get out of here,' 'We don't want you here' — that resonated with me, and I have kept A.I. in my thoughts," she said.
"So to be here now, tonight, on this floor, where he created so many memories, it means a whole heck of a lot."
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Reaction to the new kid in town was swift and positive.
The Sixers' previous announcer, Marc Zumoff, who retired in June, is still doing a lot for Philadelphia sports and aspiring broadcasters. He has joined Temple University as the associate director of the new Claire Smith Center for Sports Media.
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