As much as Kevin Harlan might be thankful for finding NBA life after TNT, basketball fans are just as grateful that he’ll be calling games for Prime Video this season.
Calling NFL games for CBS, being the voice of Monday Night Football and the Super Bowl for Westwood One, and now joining Prime Video’s inaugural season with the NBA, Harlan is as relevant as ever. But he doesn’t want to risk giving it up.
Harlan joined The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz on Friday where the veteran announcer was asked if he’s ever able to listen back and be completely satisfied with his call of a game. The answer was a resounding no.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever walked away and said, ‘yeah!’ I usually come back incredibly frustrated,” Harlan said. “The more I listen the more frustrated I get. So, sometimes I have to step away and figure out how I’m going to get better. But if you love something, you’re constantly trying to improve and evolve and get better. And I know in this business, which is incredibly competitive, that if you don’t, you’ll find there are a slew of young, incredibly talented broadcasters chasing you. So, you want to be ahead of the posse a little bit the older you get and trying to stay current and on top of your game.”
While Harlan might not be as proud of his work as he should be, the one thing he does like is his ability to hear what he did wrong and know how to fix it through his experience.
“With any profession, there comes a science and maybe trying to challenge yourself, and I like that,” Harlan continued. “I told my wife the other day, beginning this new Amazon venture — which I’m so excited about and grateful that they want to bring me on their great roster of talent — that my job is to stay relevant and current and sharp. I owe it to my employers… and I owe it to myself too.”
Credit Harlan for striving to be perfect, as most great announcers do. But with his recognizable voice, comedic timing, unique style and prominent roles in the NFL, NBA and during March Madness, Harlan probably doesn’t have to worry too much about the challenge of staying relevant. He should remain relevant for as long as he wants to.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com