Milwaukee Bucks games are going to look and sound a bit different next year, it seems.
According to a report from Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch, the Bucks have added both Gus and Marques Johnson to their television broadcast team, joining Jim Paschke and Jon McGlocklin, who will return for their 30th season as a broadcast team this upcoming season.
Deitsch notes that Gus Johnson will call 20 games this season (a mix of home and road) while balancing other assignments for Fox Sports 1, while Marques Johnson will serve as an analyst for somewhere around 55 games.
Okay. Okay....exhale. Moving on.
Marques Johnson is no stranger to Milwaukee, having been drafted by the Bucks in 1977 and playing in Milwaukee through 1984. He was a three-time All-NBA player with the Bucks and played a key part on five division-winning teams during his time with the team. Johnson also has experience in being an analyst for both the Clippers and the Lakers, as well as Fox Sports out in LA. Though he's been on the West Coast for quite some time now, it sounds like Johnson could not be more happy to be coming back to Wisconsin.
"It just felt right," Marques Johnson said in interview from LA tonight. "I feel like a prodigal son."
— cfgardner (@cf_gardner) September 15, 2015
Marques on his new gig "My main concern is I don't break down and cry on that first broadcast. I'm tickled pink to be coming home."
— cfgardner (@cf_gardner) September 15, 2015
Marques said he would not have left successful morning radio show in LA for any other job than this one.
— cfgardner (@cf_gardner) September 15, 2015
If you've ever combed through some YouTube clips of exciting sports moments (in particular the NCAA Tournament), you know who Gus Johnson is. The highly enthusiastic play-by-play man did some announcing work for the MSG Network (among others) from 1997-2010, but was intrigued by the Bucks gig, in limited stints now and even going forward, according to the report.
"Milwaukee was always one of my favorite places to go when I traveled with the Knicks," Johnson said. "They have a drink there that's pretty good. It's called beer."
One of the reasons Johnson said he found the 20-game gig appealing was because of the talent level on the Bucks, who finished 41-41 last year and made the playoffs.
"They have Jabari Parker coming back, Greg Monroe from the Pistons who will be a great presence inside, O.J. Mayo, Michael Carter-Williams is talented, and Jason Kidd was one of the great players of his time and a terrific young coach," Johnson said. "I think it's going to be a wonderful opportunity to cover a talented young team."
Johnson said he's taking the Bucks assignment on a year-by-year basis "but in my heart of hearts, I hope this is something I get an opportunity to do for a long time."
The games that the Johnsons will call have yet to be determined, but I don't think you're going to find a Bucks fan-- intense or casual-- who isn't going to be pumped by the additions to an already good broadcast. Only two weeks until training camp too, folks.