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Jim Durham's death hits Thunder announcer Matt Pinto hard

The NBA announcers had worked together for three seasons with the Dallas Mavericks

By Mel Bracht | Published: November 5, 2012 Comment on this article

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Pinto said he didn't know that Durham had been ill. “I knew he had some heart issues in the past,” he said. “In fact, the season I transitioned from radio to TV in Dallas was because he had missed some time due to heart surgery.”

A Chicago native, Durham broadcast Bulls games from 1973-91, including the first seven seasons of Michael Jordan's tenure with the team, and delivered several classic calls. “The voice of champions,” Jordan texted to ESPNChicago.com's Melissa Isaacson. “I will miss him.”

In 2011, Durham received the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport. He also served as a baseball broadcaster with the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros.

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