From Minor League Mics to Madison Square Garden: Broadcaster Tyler Murray’s Journey to the NBA
After 13 years calling minor league baseball—including for the WooSox—New England native Tyler Murray lands his dream job as a radio voice for the New York Knicks
TED REINSTEIN EXPLAINS THAT ONE. FOR MANY, IT’S THE SOUNDTRACK TO SUMMER. THE POPP OF THE MITT, THE CRACK OF THE BAT, AND THE CHEER OF THE CROWD. THERE’S NOTHING LIKE LISTENING TO BASEBALL ON THE RADIO. I’VE ALWAYS LOVED THE RADIO CALL. IT MAKES YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU’RE A KID IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR ON A FAMILY ROAD TRIP, AND WHEN YOU’RE LISTENING TO A GAME ON RADIO, YOU’RE YOU’RE KIND OF LOCKED INTO EVERY WORD FOR OVER A DECADE, TYLER MURRAY PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THIS SUMMERTIME SYMPHONY. AFTER GRADUATING FROM BOSTON UNIVERSITY, HE EMBARKED ON A 13 YEAR CAREER CALLING MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL A WORLD HE SAYS HAS PLENTY OF CHARACTER IN BETWEEN INNINGS. A LOT OF THESE BALLPARKS YOU’VE GOT, YOU KNOW, MASCOT RACES, SUMO WRESTLERS, WATER BALLOON TOSSES. SO THAT KIND OF ENCOURAGES YOU TO HAVE A LITTLE FUN AS WELL. SOMETHING MURRAY IS NEVER HESITANT TO BRING TO HIS BROADCASTS. CALL THIRD STRIKE OF THE WOOSOX WIN. WE HAVE THE. TECHNOLOGY, BUT THERE WERE SOME HUMBLING MOMENTS BEFORE HE JOINED THE WOOSOX IN 2022, LIKE WHEN THE UP AND COMING ANNOUNCER HAD TO DRESS UP AS A MASCOT FOR A PARADE. I WAS DRESSED UP AS A MONKEY. BONKERS. I THINK HIS NAME WAS. I WAS IN THE BACK OF A TRUCK IN A PARADE, AND YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO PUT STRAPS ON AND MAKE SURE THE HELMET STAYS ON. I GOT KIND OF LAZY AND WAS LIKE, WHATEVER. SOMEONE IN THE PARADE STOPS ON A DIME. SO OUR TRUCK SLAMS ON THE BRAKES AND GO FORWARD AND THE HEAD FALLS OFF AND I GRAB IT REAL QUICK. BUT BY THEN IT WAS TOO LATE AND MY MASCOT CAREER WAS OVER. NOT BY DESIGN, BUT MURRAY TOOK IT ALL IN STRIDE. EASY TO DO AFTER GROWING UP IN NEW ENGLAND WHILE ROOTING FOR TEAMS FROM NEW YORK. YEAH, I MEAN, I REMEMBER AT HIGH SCHOOL IT WAS MY SOPHOMORE YEAR. THE CELTICS WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP, AND DURING THAT YEAR THEY BEAT THE KNICKS BY ABOUT 40. AND I CAME TO SCHOOL THE NEXT DAY IN A NATE ROBINSON KNICKS JERSEY. AND MY FRIENDS WERE LIKE, ALL RIGHT, MAN, WE GIVE UP. WE CAN’T EVEN GIVE YOU A HARD TIME ANYMORE. LIKE, YOU’RE CLEARLY HOOKED ON THIS TEAM. AND AS MUCH AS MURRAY LOVED CALLING HARDBALL, HE ALWAYS KEPT AN EYE ON THE HARDWOOD AS HE JUST GOT FURTHER AND FURTHER INTO BROADCASTING, I FIGURED, WHAT WOULD THE DREAM JOB BE? AND MY FAVORITE SPORT, BASKETBALL, WAS MY FAVORITE TEAM. AND FOR ME, THE BEST VENUE IN SPORTS, IF NOT ALL OF ENTERTAINMENT. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN THE KEY TO CALLING HOOPS, IT TURNS OUT, WAS HOCKEY. WHILE CALLING A GAME FOR UMASS, MURRAY CAUGHT THE EAR OF AN ALUM WHO WORKED FOR THE NEW YORK KNICKS, LEADING TO AN AUDITION. MURRAY WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF CALLING A GAME FOR THE WOOSOX IN 2024, WHEN HE LEARNED HE WAS BOUND FOR THE BIG APPLE. I PROBABLY COULDN’T TALK FOR TWO MINUTES. I DON’T THINK I TALKED THE REST OF THE BROADCAST EITHER, BUT JUST. YEAH, FLASHING BACK, IT WAS ALMOST A YEAR AGO, SO FLASHING BACK TO THAT, IT WAS PRETTY CRAZY. MURRAY’S DREAM INTERSECTED WITH THE NIGHTMARES OF CELTICS FANS. FOUL LINE WITH FOUR LEFT BLOCK STEP BACK STOLEN BY BRIDGES. BRIDGES CHUCKS IT DOWN COURT. THEY’VE DONE IT AGAIN. THE NEW YORK KNICKS TAKE BOTH IN BOSTON AND A20 LEAD HEADING BACK TO THE MECCA. THAT’S ANOTHER ASPECT OF RADIO YOU CAN’T GET FROM A PODCAST. THE THRILL OF LIVE SPORTS. OH MY GOD, THAT WAS HE WAS EXCITED. AND WE SHOULD MENTION THAT TYLER’S FAMILY IS FROM THE NEW YORK AREA, SO HE GREW UP LOVING THE YANKEES AND THE KNICKS. HE’S NOT JUST A BANDWAGON FAN. STILL HURTS TO HEAR THAT CALL. I KNOW HE DOES SAY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WHEN BROADCASTING ON THE RADIO IS TO GIVE THE SCORE OFF, AND I AGREE WITH THAT. I TUNE IN A LOT TO RED SOX GAMES. IT’S NICE TO HEAR THE SCORE A LOT, HE SAYS. SOME OF THE BEST ADVICE HE EVER GOT WAS FROM THE GREAT SEAN MCDONOUGH, WHO TOLD HIM, DON’T WORRY ABOUT
From Minor League Mics to Madison Square Garden: Broadcaster Tyler Murray’s Journey to the NBA
After 13 years calling minor league baseball—including for the WooSox—New England native Tyler Murray lands his dream job as a radio voice for the New York Knicks
Updated: 5:01 PM EDT Aug 8, 2025
After 13 seasons broadcasting minor league baseball – including two as the play-by-play voice of the Worcester Red Sox – Tyler Murray made the long-awaited transition to hoops, becoming the play-by-play voice of his beloved New York Knicks. It wasn’t always easy for the BU graduate who rooted for New York teams while growing up in Massachusetts. But Murray persevered until he was discovered by the Knicks, who gave him his dream job. He is best known to Celtics fans for two viral calls during the Knicks’ 2025 playoff upset.
After 13 seasons broadcasting minor league baseball – including two as the play-by-play voice of the Worcester Red Sox – Tyler Murray made the long-awaited transition to hoops, becoming the play-by-play voice of his beloved New York Knicks. It wasn’t always easy for the BU graduate who rooted for New York teams while growing up in Massachusetts. But Murray persevered until he was discovered by the Knicks, who gave him his dream job. He is best known to Celtics fans for two viral calls during the Knicks’ 2025 playoff upset.