ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro pays tribute to Greg Gumbel

ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro has issued a statement paying tribute to legendary broadcaster Greg Gumbel, who passed away on Friday at the age of 78.

While Gumbel achieved his greatest prominence at CBS, particularly with the network’s NFL coverage, he worked at ESPN in its early days — from 1981-1986 — and was integral in helping the network become the “Worldwide Leader.”

In his tribute — which was one of many that Gumbel received — Pitaro noted Gumbel’s early contributions to ESPN.

“We are deeply saddened by the news of Greg Gumbel’s passing,” the statement said. “Greg was a highly accomplished and pioneering figure in sports broadcasting who brought instant credibility to ESPN in the early years of the network as both a SportsCenter anchor and as a key to our initial NBA coverage in the 1980s. We send our deepest condolences to the Gumbel family and to Greg’s many colleagues and friends, including his CBS Sports family.”

Statement from ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro on the passing of Greg Gumbel, who served as a SportsCenter anchor and contributed to ESPN’s early NBA coverage from 1981-86. pic.twitter.com/dOM2XmwHl4

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) December 28, 2024

After his time at ESPN, Gumbel had two different runs at CBS, with a stint at NBC in between.

[ESPN PR on X]