The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the recipients of the 2026 Curt Gowdy Media Awards on Friday, with some familiar names headlining the list.
Recipients include college basketball writer and broadcaster Seth Davis (Print Media), Emmy-winning basketball analyst Mike Fratello (Electronic Media), Brooklyn Nets play-by-play announcer Chris Carrino (Electronic Media), and Ma Guoli, founder of China’s sports TV channel CCTV-5 (Transformative Media).
The awards, named for legendary sports broadcaster Curt Gowdy, are presented to members of the print, electronic, and transformative media yearly for efforts that have made a significant contribution to basketball.
Davis currently serves as a studio analyst on At the Half and Inside College Basketball, and hosts Men of March, CBS’s interview program showcasing prominent coaches from Division I programs. He’s also a senior writer at The Athletic and the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of HoopsHQ.
Fratello is an Emmy-winning basketball analyst and former NBA head coach, widely known as “Czar of the Telestrator.” He began his national broadcasting career with NBC Sports, working alongside legendary play-by-play announcer Marv Albert. He served as color commentator for the Nets on YES Network for 10 seasons, the Cavaliers on Bally Sports Ohio from 2016-23, and currently serves as analyst for the Clippers. He also recently returned to NBC for a throwback broadcast alongside Bob Costas and Doug Collins.
Carrino has served as the Brooklyn Nets’ radio play-by-play announcer since 2002, having joined the organization in 1992. He’s also called men’s and women’s basketball for NBC at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympic Games, and serves as Westwood One’s national radio voice of the NCAA Tournament.
Guoli is a pioneering figure in Chinese sports television, establishing CCTV-5, China’s first dedicated sports channel in 1995. He served as the Chief Operating Officer of Beijing Olympic Broadcasting (BOB) for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Carrino, Davis, Fratello, Guoli, and Leah Wilcox, the recipient of the 2026 John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award, will be recognized during the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend at the Gala and Awards Celebration on Friday, August 14th, at Mohegan Sun.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.