Neil Funk
Neil Funk | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 29, 1946 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
| Occupation | Sports announcer |
| Years active | 1969–2020 |
| Known for | Television play-by-play commentator for the Chicago Bulls |
| Spouse | Renee |
| Children | 1 (William) |
Neil Funk (born December 29, 1946) is a former television play-by-play commentator who covered the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls.
Education and career
Raised in Indianapolis, Funk earned his degree from Syracuse University in 1969. His broadcasting journey started at a small radio station in Danville, Illinois, where he reported on high school and collegiate athletics. By 1976, he became part of the Philadelphia 76ers' WIBG-radio broadcast team. Following his tenure with the Kansas City Kings, Funk began televising Sixers games in 1982, earning an Emmy Award in 1989 alongside Steve Mix.
In 1991, Funk assumed the role of radio play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Bulls. On May 6, 2008, he shifted to television play-by-play duties for Bulls contests on Comcast SportsNet Chicago, succeeding Tom Dore and Wayne Larrivee.
Funk declared his retirement in October 2019, intending to conclude after the 2019–20 season, marking nearly three decades with the Bulls. However, due to the season's suspension amid the COVID-19 pandemic, his farewell broadcast was cut short; his final call occurred during the March 10 game versus the Cavaliers.
Starting with the 2020–21 season, Adam Amin took over as the Bulls' TV play-by-play announcer on NBC Sports Chicago from June 1, 2020.
Quotes
Funk is well-known for his distinctive exclamation "Ka-Boom!" following Bulls three-point shots and his emphatic phrase "Bang, down the well it goes!"
An example of his commentary: "Dennis inbounding to Scottie, who advances the ball upcourt. Pippen crosses the timeline with Stockton defending. Scottie passes left to Michael. Michael backs Russell down, backing now swings it to Luc. Over to Scottie with 10 seconds left on the shot clock. Scottie finds Steve Kerr for three—ka-boom!"
During a Philadelphia Sixers broadcast, Funk once exclaimed: “Cheeks to Barkley. Barkley back to Cheeks. Cheeks—twisting, turning, wheeling, dealing, hanging, firing, scoring.”
Other activities
Funk provided play-by-play commentary for Midway Games' 1996 arcade title NBA Hangtime, substituting for Midway's regular announcer Tim Kitzrow. Additionally, he appears as a secret character within the game, accessible by entering the name NFUNK and pin 0101.
Personal life
Neil Funk is married to Renee and they have one son named William. The family resides in Chicago.