David J. Halberstam, a longtime sports broadcaster and author, died on June 2 after a battle with brain cancer. He was 74 years old.
Halberstam spent almost 50 years working in sports in a variety of roles. For example, he served as the voice of St. John’s University basketball from 1982 to 1992. He then transitioned to calling games for the NBA’s Miami Heat. He remained in this role from 1992 to 1998.
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It was with the Heat that Halberstam called numerous winning rosters. The NBA franchise reached the playoffs four times during this stretch and competed in the Eastern Conference Finals once (1996-97). The Heat fell to Michael Jordan and the Bulls that year, who went on to win the title.
“Sad news,” wrote Pacers play-by-play man Mark Joseph Boyle. “I met David when I worked at (WFAN 660), and our paths crossed again after I had been with the (Pacers)
for a bit, and he worked for the (Miami Heat).
“He was bright, knowledgeable, & an encyclopedia when it came to the history of play-by-play broadcasting. He will be missed.”
Halberstam’s impact on sports also included his time serving as the EVP and general manager of Westwood One Sports from 2002 to 2008. He also launched the Sports Broadcast Journal in 2018.
He also authored two books — 1998’s Sports on New York Radio: A Play-by-Play History and 2016’s Sports Media and Sponsorship Sales: Developing New Accounts.
“Wow. Very sad to hear this,” Howie Rose, longtime voice of the Mets, posted on X. “I knew David since my college days in the mid 1970s. Even then it was evident that he was going places. A true dynamo who left his mark wherever he went. Condolences to his family. RIP.”
Michelle Tafoya, a four-time Sports Emmy winner, also offered condolences after hearing about Halberstam’s passing. She wrote, “RIP, David J. Halberstam. What a good, decent, kind, hardworking gentleman.”
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