Jim Chones stepping away from Cleveland Cavaliers radio analyst role after 18 years

Jim Chones has been calling Cleveland Cavaliers games on the radio for 18 years and even longer when you factor in his television work. It’s finally time for him to take off the headset.

The former NBA player announced he would be stepping away from his role as lead analyst on the Cleveland Cavaliers Radio Network at the end of this NBA season. He made the announcement during an appearance on WTAM 1100 on Friday.

“It is a transition,” Chones said. “I’ll be doing other things, you know, in partnership with the Cavs and other parts and other relationships.”

The great #JimChones made the announcement with Wills & Snyder in the Morning that he is leaving the perch at Rocket Arena on the @CavsAudioVerse @cavs @billwillswtam #Cavaliers #Cleveland #clevelandcavaliers #letemknow pic.twitter.com/YGMtIQ0uQY

— Newsradio WTAM 1100 (@wtam1100) April 10, 2026

Chones said that as basketball has changed during his broadcasting career, he wants to work on projects that can benefit the Cavaliers.

“What I’ve learned over the years is that basketball has changed,” Chones said. “Basketball is a social network. There’s a lot of other things that contribute, projects and to the viewing of the team. That’s only a small part of it. I want to be in partnership with the Cavs and develop other projects and try to be a part of that.”

A radio analyst since 2007, Chones called many of LeBron James’s games and the franchise’s four-straight NBA Finals appearances, including the 2016 NBA Championship. Prior to that, he spent 11 seasons as the team’s TV color commentator.

Chones’ history with the franchise goes back to his NBA playing days, when he played for the Cavaliers between 1974 and 1979 before leaving to join the Los Angeles Lakers and help them win the 1980 NBA Championship.