‘Not worth my time’: Former SuperSonics voice Kevin Calabro parts ways with Portland Trail Blazers

Kevin Calabro, the play-by-play voice of the Portland Trail Blazers since 2016, is now a free agent.

The longtime NBA broadcaster and former voice of the SuperSonics confirmed to The Seattle Times Wednesday that he won’t be back with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Calabro, who turned 70 last month, decided to walk away from the franchise after describing Portland’s offer as “subprime,” later telling The Athletic it was an easy decision.

“Easy decision. Not worth my time,” he told The Athletic. “Which is sad because it’s a great roster and the people there are great.”

“I can confirm that we are making changes for the upcoming season as we continue to evolve with the changes in the broadcast industry and look to become more efficient in our business operations,” the Portland Trail Blazers told KATU in a prepared statement. “While plans are still being finalized, play-by-play radio broadcasts will continue in the 2026-27 season and will not be television simulcasts.”

Before spending the last decade calling Trail Blazers games, Calabro was the play-by-play voice for the Seattle SuperSonics for 22 years. Calabro stated he would not continue with the team if it relocated to Oklahoma City.

Despite the change, Calabro stayed in Seattle and always called it home, renting an apartment in Portland to fulfill his broadcasting duties. His four children, all of whom are adults, live in the Seattle area.

Additionally, he called the 2007, 2014, and 2016 NBA Finals for ESPN radio. He was crowned “Sportscaster of the Year” by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association nine times for Washington (in 1997 and then from 2000-2007), while also winning the same honor for Oregon in 2018.

The 70-year-old Seattle native said he still wants to be in broadcasting, preferably broadcasting for the NBA or college basketball.

This change comes four months after Tom Dundon, who owns the Carolina Hurricanes, bought the Portland Trail Blazers for $4.25 billion.

The Trail Blazers have laid off employees as part of a restructuring effort

The Portland Trail Blazers have laid off employees as new owner Tom Dundon cuts costs.

The exact number of employees who were let go was not made public, but they included staff in both the business and basketball operations.

“These changes impacted talented people who have helped shape the Trail Blazers over many years,” Dewayne Hankins, the Blazers’ president of business operations, said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful for their contributions, their leadership and the care they showed every day for our team, our fans and the Portland community.”

Dundon leads the group of investors who bought the NBA franchise from the estate of Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft who died in 2018. The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the sale, worth a reported $4.25 billion, in April. Dundon also owns the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL.

Blazers employees learned of the layoffs during a Tuesday morning video call. Among the employees impacted was digital reporter Casey Holdahl, who had been with the team for 18 years. He announced his fate on social media, thanking fans for engaging with his work.

The move comes as the new owners negotiate with both local and state officials over funding to renovate the Moda Center and secure a long-term lease that would keep the team in Portland.

The Oregon Legislature approved funds for the renovation of the Moda Center in early March. The measure gives the state joint ownership of the 30-year-old arena with the city, and provides a mechanism to secure $365 million for the building’s renovation ahead of the women’s NCAA Final Four in 2030.

The new ownership group includes Dundon; Portland-based Sheel Tyle, co-founder of investment firm Collective Global; Marc Zahr, co-president of Blue Owl Capital; the Cherng Family Trust, the investment firm of the co-founders of Panda Express; and Stan Middleman of Freedom Mortgage, who also owns a stake in the Philadelphia Phillies.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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