Adam Amin is one of the best play-by-play voices in sports, and he credits Chicago Bulls analyst Stacey King as one of the people who have made him even better.
Amin joined this week’s episode of the Awful Announcing Podcast for a wide-ranging interview where he discussed Philip Rivers’ signing with the Colts, working with Drew Brees, and calling the MLB playoffs for Fox. But Amin also spoke about going from growing up in Chicago as a Bulls fan to being their lead play-by-play voice for the Chicago Sports Network. And not only did Stacey King make the transition easier for Amin when he succeeded Neil Funk, but the former Bulls center also made him a better broadcaster.
“You don’t know what he’s gonna say next, but that’s part of the fun of it,” Amin said. “And it’s made me better. It made me a better broadcaster. It’s made me more flexible to either A, let me own personality out, or B, try to create and advance the rapport you have with somebody by letting them have the personality out there and know that I’m going to accept it and I’m going to run with it. I love the concept of ‘yes, and…’ when it comes to improv…being a great partner by just saying, ‘yea, and…’ and adding something to it and letting the bit play out a little. And that’s part of the fun with doing this with somebody like Stacey. It’s different doing the job with Stacey because he’s a unique broadcaster.”
Amin said King studied journalism when he was at Oklahoma. And when Dick Vitale came to ESPN to call Oklahoma basketball games in the ‘80s, King was there to pick his brain about broadcasting. Decades later, King is similar to Vitale in that he’s authentically unique and passionate as an analyst on-air.
“He is a one of one,” Amin said of King. “You do want to support that personality. Even if it’s against type. You don’t think of analysts as having a ton of catchphrases or dictating the energy of the call…I’m gonna call things a certain way. Yes, it’s going to sound like we’re overlapping, that’s okay in my estimation. Especially because of the comfort rapport that we have and the trust that I think he has in me to make those calls and know that I am going to give him that runway and give him that space. I don’t want to commit a broadcast sin by denying this person this thing that makes him so unique, and that makes our broadcast unique.”
One thing that makes Amin a special broadcaster is his natural ability to set up his analyst. He’s great with Adam Wainwright and A.J. Pierzynski for the MLB on Fox, and he’s already proving to be a strong fit with Drew Brees. Amin has worked with over 150 different analysts in his career as a play-by-play voice, and his ability to always make it sound like they’ve been working together for years is unique.
Listen to the full episode of the Awful Announcing Podcast featuring Adam Amin beginning Thursday, Dec. 11, and subscribe to the show onApple Podcasts,Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. For more content, subscribe to AA’s YouTube page.