SACRAMENTO, CA ― Sacramento Kings longtime radio broadcaster Gary "G-Man" Gerould was honored with one of the most respectable gestures from a basketball organization.
The Kings announced that they renamed their media and press dining room to the "Gary 'G-Man' Gerould Media Center."
Gerould is entering his 42nd season as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Kings, a position he's held since the Kings relocated to Sacramento in 1985. There's not any particular secret to Gerould's longevity. If there was one, he couldn't pinpoint it.
"I think back to, you know, when I started out, how naive I was as a young, aspiring NBA broadcaster," Gerould told USA TODAY Sports in an interview. "I never even thought about way down the road. I had no idea how long
this adventure might continue. And the fact that we're now starting the 42nd year, I guess that means I'm officially old."
Gerould, 86, walks around the Kings facility with a gravitating presence, whether on game day or practice he can't go anywhere without being recognized and stopped for a brief conversation.
Gerould remains one of the longest-tenured broadcasters in the NBA, having called more than 3,000 Kings games. He's seen everything Kings basketball, the good, the bad and ugly. Yet, he still shows up every day just as passionate to broadcast Kings basketball.
“For more than 40 years, G-Man has been the defining voice of the Sacramento Kings, bringing every moment to life on the radio with unmatched precision, passion, and storytelling,” Sacramento Kings chairman and owner Vivek Ranadivé said in a team statement. “His impact extends beyond the game, and we’re proud to honor someone who has been such a meaningful part of our franchise.”
From the early days at ARCO Arena to the modern era at Golden 1 Center, Gerould's voice has been the soundtrack every memorable moment in franchise history. He's earned deep respect from peers and fans alike.
"I have so much appreciation for (the Kings), I've been through four ownership groups for the Sacramento Kings, more than 20 different head coaches, all the assistant coaches, all the players over the years," Gerould said. "But there's a sense of family and I'm so appreciative of that, and it's fostered by Scott Perry and head coach Doug Christie in the current organization of the Kings. It's something that I don't think you find in every professional sports franchise. And that makes Year 42 special going in."
There's no doubt in all of his 42 years, the most exciting years were during the Rick Adelman era from 1999 to 2006. Gerould said that he envied other broadcasters, many of whom he befriended, simply because the teams they covered were good and Sacramento wasn't.
Then the Kings slowly put together what would become their best era in team history in the late '90s and early 2000s. The team headlined by Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic, Vlade Divac, Doug Christie, Jason Williams, and then Mike Bibby.
"Suddenly, we became good, and I mean, very good. And we became very entertaining. And we had tremendous following around the country," Gerould said. "So that was a very magical time, and I thought for the first time in my career with the Kings, I'm legitimately seeing a team that when they take the floor, you feel like you've got a legitimate shot to win the ball game. And that's a great, great feeling.
"I think that's what we all desire. We want to see back," he added. "We took a couple of giant steps forward a couple of years ago, and then we ran into the side of the mountain the last couple of years. Last year, we missed almost 300 man games because of injury. Late in the season, I remember saying nights, we're missing 110 points on average that was not in uniform or on the bench. And yet, trying to find a way to be competitive with the young guys and so forth."
Sacramento is far removed from its glory days and Gerould knows that, but he's still optimistically hopeful.
"But now, as you start the preseason, it's the first step in trying to answer all the questions that have been generated," he said. "And trying to determine whether or not the optimism that we all feel as you start a new season is valid. And so tonight, first step in that journey."
Gerould's career isn't limited to just the Kings. He's nearly recognized as much nationally as he is locally. His career includes more than 1,800 televised events, including NFL play-by-play, Olympic coverage and 37 years in motorsports with ESPN, ABC and NBC.
Gerould began his broadcasting career in high school and went on to work in Chico and Sacramento, including 12 years at KCRA-TV (Sacramento). He remains a respected and enduring figure in Sacramento sports media while bringing Kings basketball to fans across the region.
His name should be mentioned in the same breathe of radio voices like legendary Los Angeles Lakers voice Chick Hearn and longtime Phoenix Suns voice Al McCoy.
"It's hard for me still to wrap my mind around it. I look at the legendary Chick Hearn, and I look at Al McCoy and Phoenix, there's two sterling examples of not only being great broadcasters, but great individuals," Gerould said. "And they paved the way in that sense. And the fact that, you know, I joined kind of that select group is hard for me to really, you know, wrap my arms around, but at the same time, it's pretty darn cool. And I'm terribly proud of that. I'm humbled by it, but let me tell you, I'd be the first to say, I'm blessed to be able to be starting a 42nd year as a broadcaster in this Kings organization."
Gerould has seen a lot of hoops and yet still, he is still taken away by the talent of all the athletes he watches.
"There'll be some nights when suddenly, it'll take your breath away. And the challenge of trying to find a way on radio to be able to describe that, so that whoever may be listening can appreciate the electricity of the moment, the special stamp that elicits, you know, the reaction from the Kings fans," he said. "Those are magical moments, and you, as a broadcaster, you want to be able to rise to the occasion. You want to be able to be there and consistent in the way you create or paint the picture. So, you hope that all of those good things come together."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kings dedicate media room to longtime radio voice Gary "G-Man" Gerould
