Masters of the Mic: NBA

Go inside almost any NBA arena these days ... and hold your ears. What goes on -- the endless, ear-assaulting cheerleading by the hometown public address announcer -- mirrors what has happened to much of basketball announcing, particularly in the college game. Announcers have become "personalities," and think they're bigger than the game. They're not.

Though some of my guys below have become "personalities," they achieved that status purely because of their work. They love the game. They know the game. And they understand when to step back, and, in those old familiar coaching terms, "let the game come to them." Of course, most of my favorites wouldn't hesitate to identify that as a hopeless clich�.

1. Marv Albert: His voice IS the game -- urban, honest, knowledgeable, and passionate without being overwrought, as is the case with too many announcers. I know Marv well, and I've never seen him suck up to a player or curry favor with a coach; everyone between the lines recognizes his greatness. A big game isn't really a BIG GAME unless Marv is calling it. Pity he's on the wrong network and can't work the Finals.

2. Dick Stockton: Dick is so good (at whatever sport he does) that he's often overlooked. A consumate professional, he is always prepared. His CBS play-by-play defined the golden era of the '80s, when it seemed that Bird was going against Magic, or Magic was going against Michael, every time you turned on the set.

3. Bob Costas: Though he's more associated with baseball, Costas got his start in hoops, as the play-by-play guy for the old ABA St. Louis Spirit, which featured, among other notables, Marvin Barnes. Costas is always prepared, always professional and never treats the game like high church.

4. Verne Lundquist: I compare him to Stockton. Verne never thinks he's bigger than the game and he works as hard now as he did two decades ago. I've sat next to him at many a college basketball regional, and he's as smooth as a sheet of Zambonied ice. All that, and he's a nice man, too.

5. Dave Zinkoff: Never heard of The Zink? Your loss. He was the long-time public address announcer in Philadelphia (for the Warriors, then the 76ers), and is recognized throughout the NBA for four decades as the best in the business. Zink was inventive and colorful without being a cheerleader or disrespectful.

1. Doug Collins: A former player and coach doesn't necessarily make a great analyst, but having been inside the huddle can help. That was the secret to John Madden's success and that is the secret to Doug's, too. Though he was the top pick in the 1972 draft -- people often forget how good he was before injuries derailed his playing career -- he always saw the game from a deeper perspective. I've seen him prepare for a broadcast, and he works hard for his money.

2. Hubie Brown: Hubie got his gig with Memphis because of his tireless work as an analyst. "When Hubie came to town for a game," said Jerry West, who hired him to coach the Grizzlies, "I never saw anyone more prepared or knowledgeable." Hubie doesn't have the most mellifluous voice in the world. But, folks, hoops ain't supposed to be opera.

3. Al McGuire. There are certain guys who can get away with anything, such as Charles Barkley, who violates every rule of political correctness, and never gets called on it. Al was that rare analyst who could forget names and scores, and, for that matter, which two teams were playing. But his warmth, honesty and passion for the game always won the day.