Sonics name Matt Pinto new radio play-by-play announcer
Aug 14th, 2007 by Inside Hoops
The Seattle SuperSonics today announced Matt Pinto as the team’s new radio play-by-play announcer. For the second straight season, all Sonics radio broadcasts can be heard on 770 AM KTTH.
Pinto comes to the Sonics from Los Angeles where he has served as the radio voice of the NBA’s Clippers for the past two seasons. From 1997-2005, Pinto was on the Dallas Mavericks’ broadcast team, serving as the radio play-by-play voice from 1997-2001 and the television voice from 2001-2005. While in Dallas, Pinto also worked as a talk show host for KESN (ESPN 103.3 FM) and was the play-by-play announcer of the NCAA Division IAA regional game of the week for The Football Network. In 1997, Pinto was named best play-by-play announcer for the state of Texas by the Associated Press.
“I’m thrilled for the opportunity,” Pinto said. “I’ve been thoroughly impressed with everyone at the Sonics organization. I’m overjoyed and very excited to contribute to the broadcast in the Seattle marketplace. I’m looking forward to becoming a fixture for Sonics fans and delivering on this great product.”
From 1990-1997, Pinto was the radio play-by-play voice of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. In Charlotte, Pinto was host of the afternoon drive sports talk show on WFNZ Radio, host of the nightly “Sports Huddle” sports talk show on WBT Radio and television anchor of the morning sportscast and weeknight “Hornets Insider” segment on CBS-TV affiliate WBTV. Pinto also was the television play-by-play voice of UNC-Charlotte basketball games and was an occasional host of ESPN national sports talk shows and the play-by-play voice of Westwood One college basketball.
“When we decided to go in another direction with the play-by-play of our radio broadcast, we knew we wanted to bring in an NBA veteran to fill the play-by-play role,” said John Croley, Sonics Vice President of Facilities, Sales & Service. “By hiring Matt, we’ve taken our radio broadcast to a whole new level. We feel confident that by adding Matt to our radio broadcast, along with Kevin Calabro on FSN, we now have one of the best broadcast teams in the NBA.”
Before joining the NBA ranks, Pinto worked in the sports broadcasting field in Honolulu, Boston, Los Angeles and Amarillo, Texas. His other play-by-play accomplishments include University of Hawaii football and basketball, Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA Baseball), Boston College basketball, Brown University football, UCLA women’s basketball and various junior college and high school football and basketball games.