Jim Gray (sportscaster)
Encyclopedia
Jim Gray is an American
sportscaster
. He has previously worked as a reporter with NBC Sports
and CBS Sports
. He is currently with Westwood One
radio network, Showtime, Golf Channel, the Sacramento Kings
, and ESPN
/ESPN on ABC
. He also provided NBC with commentary during the 2008 Summer Olympics
.
, Kobe Bryant
, Ron Artest
, Dennis Rodman
, Michael Jordan
, Tiger Woods
, Barry Bonds
and others. Gray has won 11 National Emmy Awards and has twice been named the Sports Reporter of the Year by the ASA. Gray has worked on many major sporting events including numerous Super Bowl
s, World Series
, NBA Finals
, NCAA Final Fours
, Olympics
, The Masters and World Boxing Title Fights. Gray was named as one of the 50 Greatest Sports Broadcasters of All-Time by David Halberstam
, ranking 49th.
Gray was the sideline reporter for the Pacers–Pistons brawl in 2004. He was also the reporter on the air for Showtime for the Tyson/Holyfield fight in 1997 in which Tyson bit off Holyfield's ear. Gray also reported on the Olympic bombing from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics
.
Gray served as a reporter for NBC Sports
coverage of Boxing at the 2008 Summer Olympics
.
, which showed in the immediate aftermath of Bryant's sexual assault case
(the night when the news broke, Gray appeared on SportsCenter
in defense of Bryant's character) and in several sideline interviews. It was Gray whom Bryant called to vent about teammate Shaquille O'Neal
in October of that year
(a phone call that started one of O'Neal and Bryant's worst disagreements). Gray's interviews with maligned baseball player Barry Bonds
in 2006 and 2007 were the only one on one interviews that Bonds did after breaking both Babe Ruth's and Hank Aaron's home run records. In each interview Bonds denied using steroids or any performance enhancing drugs.
During the 1997 NBA Finals
, Gray interviewed Dennis Rodman
during an NBA on NBC segment. After repeatedly questioning Rodman about his comments about the Mormon Religion
(the Chicago Bulls
were in Utah to play the Jazz
during the Finals), Rodman finally had enough of the questions and walked off the interview set with tears in his eyes and took the mic off of him without assistance. NBC showed the ending of the interview as it happened during the NBA Finals pre-game show.
On June 24, 2000 in Glasgow, Scotland, Gray did the interview with Mike Tyson after his swift knockout of Lou Savarese where Tyson proclaimed he "wanted to eat (Lennox Lewis's) children."
On July 8, 2010, Gray interviewed LeBron James
when he revealed his 2010 NBA free agency decision to join the Miami Heat
on a live ESPN special called The Decision.
On August 13, 2011, following the Abner Mares vs. Joseph Agbeko
boxing match for the WBC Silver
and IBF
Bantamweight
championships, Gray interviewed match referee Russell Mora and confronted him about how he allowed Mares to get away with numerous low blows throughout the match, including a left hook to Agbeko's cup during the 11th round, which Mora ruled as a knockdown even though the blow was clearly visible to him.
. During Game 2 of the 1999 World Series
, Rose was introduced as a member of the Major League Baseball
All-Century Team
. After the ceremony, Gray (who was covering the series for NBC) pointedly queried Rose about allegations of gambling on baseball
, which he repeatedly denied:
Many people were outraged over Gray's aggressive questioning, feeling that it detracted from the ceremony. Others felt that given the dichotomy
of Rose's banishment from baseball and his inclusion on the All-Century Team, the questions were appropriate.
After conducting the interview, Gray offered no apology for his line of questioning toward Rose:
However, after the heavy criticism heaped onto Gray and NBC, Gray did offer the following apology on-air prior to the start of Game 3:
Despite Gray's pre-game apology, New York Yankees
outfielder
Chad Curtis
snubbed Gray's request for an on-field interview with him right after hitting the game winning walk-off home run
:
Curtis claimed it was a team decision not to speak with Gray. However, Yankees manager Joe Torre
later suggested that Curtis acted independently.
On January 8, 2004, more than four years after the interview, Rose's autobiography
My Prison Without Bars
was published. Through that book, Rose finally admitted publicly to betting on baseball games.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
. He has previously worked as a reporter with NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
and CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
. He is currently with Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
radio network, Showtime, Golf Channel, the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
/ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
. He also provided NBC with commentary during the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.
Notable events covered and athletes interviewed
Gray has been well known for his often controversial interview technique. Gray has broken numerous sports stories and has scored a number of exclusive interviews with Mike TysonMike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
, Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
, Ron Artest
Ron Artest
Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
, Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
, Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
, Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
and others. Gray has won 11 National Emmy Awards and has twice been named the Sports Reporter of the Year by the ASA. Gray has worked on many major sporting events including numerous Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s, World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
, NCAA Final Fours
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
, Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, The Masters and World Boxing Title Fights. Gray was named as one of the 50 Greatest Sports Broadcasters of All-Time by David Halberstam
David Halberstam
David Halberstam was an American Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author and historian, known for his early work on the Vietnam War, his work on politics, history, the Civil Rights Movement, business, media, American culture, and his later sports journalism.-Early life and education:Halberstam...
, ranking 49th.
Gray was the sideline reporter for the Pacers–Pistons brawl in 2004. He was also the reporter on the air for Showtime for the Tyson/Holyfield fight in 1997 in which Tyson bit off Holyfield's ear. Gray also reported on the Olympic bombing from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
.
Gray served as a reporter for NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
coverage of Boxing at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Boxing at the 2008 Summer Olympics
The boxing program of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China was held at the Workers Indoor Arena.Medals were awarded in eleven events, with each event corresponding to a recognized weight division of male boxers...
.
Notable interviews
Gray has been known for his close relationship with Kobe BryantKobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
, which showed in the immediate aftermath of Bryant's sexual assault case
Kobe Bryant sexual assault case
The Kobe Bryant sexual assault case began in the summer of 2003 when the news media reported that the sheriff's office in Eagle, Colorado had arrested NBA superstar Kobe Bryant in connection with an investigation of a sexual assault complaint filed by a 19-year-old hotel employee...
(the night when the news broke, Gray appeared on SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
in defense of Bryant's character) and in several sideline interviews. It was Gray whom Bryant called to vent about teammate Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
in October of that year
October 2003
October 2003: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December-Events:-October 1, 2003:...
(a phone call that started one of O'Neal and Bryant's worst disagreements). Gray's interviews with maligned baseball player Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
in 2006 and 2007 were the only one on one interviews that Bonds did after breaking both Babe Ruth's and Hank Aaron's home run records. In each interview Bonds denied using steroids or any performance enhancing drugs.
During the 1997 NBA Finals
1997 NBA Finals
The 1997 NBA Finals was the concluding series of the 1997 NBA Playoffs that determined the champion of the 1996–97 NBA season. The Utah Jazz of the Western Conference took on the Chicago Bulls of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Bulls holding home court advantage...
, Gray interviewed Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
during an NBA on NBC segment. After repeatedly questioning Rodman about his comments about the Mormon Religion
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
(the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
were in Utah to play the Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
during the Finals), Rodman finally had enough of the questions and walked off the interview set with tears in his eyes and took the mic off of him without assistance. NBC showed the ending of the interview as it happened during the NBA Finals pre-game show.
On June 24, 2000 in Glasgow, Scotland, Gray did the interview with Mike Tyson after his swift knockout of Lou Savarese where Tyson proclaimed he "wanted to eat (Lennox Lewis's) children."
On July 8, 2010, Gray interviewed LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
when he revealed his 2010 NBA free agency decision to join the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
on a live ESPN special called The Decision.
On August 13, 2011, following the Abner Mares vs. Joseph Agbeko
Abner Mares vs. Joseph Agbeko
Abner Mares vs. Joseph Agbeko was a championship fight for the WBC Silver & IBF Bantamweight championships. The bout was held on August 13, 2011, at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, and was televised on Showtime.-Main card:...
boxing match for the WBC Silver
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
and IBF
International Boxing Federation
The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...
Bantamweight
Bantamweight
Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...
championships, Gray interviewed match referee Russell Mora and confronted him about how he allowed Mares to get away with numerous low blows throughout the match, including a left hook to Agbeko's cup during the 11th round, which Mora ruled as a knockdown even though the blow was clearly visible to him.
The Pete Rose interview
The most notable interview of Gray's sportscasting career occurred with former baseball player Pete RosePete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
. During Game 2 of the 1999 World Series
1999 World Series
The 1999 World Series, the 95th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, featured a rematch between the defending champions New York Yankees against the Atlanta Braves during the month of October, with the Yankees sweeping the Series in four games for their second title in a row,...
, Rose was introduced as a member of the Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
All-Century Team
Major League Baseball All-Century Team
In 1999, the Major League Baseball All-Century Team was chosen by popular vote of fans. To select the team, a panel of experts first compiled a list of the 100 greatest Major League Baseball players from the past century...
. After the ceremony, Gray (who was covering the series for NBC) pointedly queried Rose about allegations of gambling on baseball
Dowd Report
The Dowd Report is the document describing the transgressions of baseball player Pete Rose in betting on baseball, which precipitated his agreement to a lifetime suspension from the sport in the United States. The 225-page report was prepared by Special Counsel to the Commissioner, John M. Dowd,...
, which he repeatedly denied:
Many people were outraged over Gray's aggressive questioning, feeling that it detracted from the ceremony. Others felt that given the dichotomy
Dichotomy
A dichotomy is any splitting of a whole into exactly two non-overlapping parts, meaning it is a procedure in which a whole is divided into two parts...
of Rose's banishment from baseball and his inclusion on the All-Century Team, the questions were appropriate.
After conducting the interview, Gray offered no apology for his line of questioning toward Rose:
However, after the heavy criticism heaped onto Gray and NBC, Gray did offer the following apology on-air prior to the start of Game 3:
Despite Gray's pre-game apology, New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Chad Curtis
Chad Curtis
Chad Curtis is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played from -, notably for the New York Yankees...
snubbed Gray's request for an on-field interview with him right after hitting the game winning walk-off home run
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
:
Curtis claimed it was a team decision not to speak with Gray. However, Yankees manager Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
later suggested that Curtis acted independently.
On January 8, 2004, more than four years after the interview, Rose's autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
My Prison Without Bars
My Prison Without Bars
My Prison Without Bars is Pete Rose's autobiography, published by Rodale Press on January 8, 2004.In the book, Rose finally admitted publicly to betting on baseball games and other sports while playing for and managing the Cincinnati Reds...
was published. Through that book, Rose finally admitted publicly to betting on baseball games.