July 13, 2009
NORMAL, Ill. -
Former Illinois State All-American basketball player and current lead commentator for Turner Sports (TNT) NBA coverage and NBC Sports' coverage of basketball at the Olympic Games Doug Collins has been selected to receive the 2009 Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame during enshrinement festivities scheduled for Sept. 10-11, in Springfield, Mass. In addition to Collins, Peter Vecsey, a longtime pro basketball writer for the New York Post, will also receive the award.
The Gowdy Media Award is named in honor of the legendary sports broadcaster and former Basketball Hall of Fame President, the late Curt Gowdy. This prestigious award is presented annually to members of the print and electronic media whose longtime efforts have made a significant contribution to the game of basketball.
"The Gowdy Media Award is an honor that is very proudly presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in memory of the late Curt Gowdy, one of the legendary figures of sports media," said John L. Doleva, Hall of Fame President & CEO. "Doug Collins and Peter Vecsey have dedicated much of their professional careers to report on the game of basketball while they entertain and educate millions of fans, readers and television viewers around the world. The Basketball Hall of Fame is very proud to recognize their extraordinary efforts."
Collins, the 2009 honoree for the Electronic Media, is widely recognized as the consummate NBA television color analyst. He brings a unique perspective and experience to each telecast, providing insight from both the player's and coach's perspective.
With the Redbirds, Collins averaged 29.1 points per game in his three-year varsity career, while being named both an All-American and an academic All-American each season. Following a successful college career at Illinois State, Collins represented the United States at the 1972 Munich Olympics and was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1973 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Collins moved to the coaching ranks where he led the Chicago Bulls (1986-89), Detroit Pistons (1995-98) and Washington Wizards (2001-03).
In 1989, Collins first joined the Turner Sports family as its NBA color commentator. After leaving to pursue further coaching opportunities, he returned to Turner Sports in 2003. Collins is TNT's lead analyst for both the NBA All-Star Game and the NBA Conference Finals.
In addition, Collins was the lead analyst for NBC, and worked four NBA Finals and three Olympic Games. Overall, for the better part of the past two decades, Collins has been a mainstay in the television coverage of the NBA, providing viewers with expert analysis and anecdotes from his experiences from the bench and on the court.
An Emmy-nominated broadcaster with NBC and Turner Broadcasting, Collins' retired No. 20 hangs gracefully from the Redbird Arena rafters above the court which also bears his name. He is also a member of the Illinois State Athletics, Missouri Valley Conference and Academic All-America Halls of Fame. He and his wife, Kathy, have two children, son, Chris, and daughter, Kelly.
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