Bill Land Announces Retirement After 21 Seasons with San Antonio Spurs and Five Decades in Broadcast

SAN ANTONIO (Aug. 21, 2024) – Bill Land, the award-winning longtime voice of the San Antonio Spurs television broadcast, has announced his retirement ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season. Land, who has served as the lead play-by-play announcer for the Spurs for over two decades alongside Sean Elliott, leaves behind a remarkable legacy in sports broadcasting. His decision to retire follows his 2023 diagnosis of multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer.

Land’s broadcasting career began in 1974 at WXOW TV in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He joined the Spurs broadcast team in 1990, initially as an occasional fill-in announcer on Home Sports Entertainment. His passion for the game eventually led him to a more prominent role in 2003. By 2008, Land became the lead play-by-play announcer, a position he held until the end of the 2023-24 season. His time with the Spurs was marked by many memorable moments, including calling games for Spurs legends like Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and more recently, Victor Wembanyama. Land’s iconic voice and his trademark “OH MAMA!” became a beloved part of Spurs culture.

Reflecting on his retirement, Land expressed deep gratitude for the support he received from the Spurs organization and fans. “I am grateful and appreciative for the support from the entire Spurs organization as well as FOX Sports/Bally Sports,” said Land. “I feel truly blessed to have had a dream job with the best production crew in the league and the best analyst in the NBA, Sean Elliott. As I move into the fourth quarter of my life, I want to thank everyone, especially Spurs fans, for their incredible support over the years and particularly this past year as I have battled cancer.”

With a broadcasting career spanning five decades, Land’s contributions to sports media extend beyond the NBA. He has called games for a wide variety of sports across the United States, including basketball, baseball, water polo, and tumbling. He has also served as a TV sports anchor, radio host, and play-by-play announcer for teams such as the Texas Rangers, Tulsa Roughnecks, and various Southwest Conference/Big XII programs. Land’s first day as a professional broadcaster was on April 15, 1974, and his final broadcast was exactly 50 years later in 2024.

“Bill has been a core member of the Spurs family, not only for us but for the fans who listen to him each season,” said Mike Kickirillo, Senior Director of Broadcasting for Spurs Sports & Entertainment. “The pure joy and passion he brings to our games personalizes the experience for all fans listening, and his iconic voice and character have cemented him in history among our beloved Spurs legends. We’ll be forever grateful to him for bringing over 20 years of dedication to our team and fans, and will miss his voice dearly.”

Land’s work has earned him numerous accolades, including a Lone Star Sports Emmy for his coverage of the Spurs’ return to action during the pandemic in 2020. In 2021, he was inducted into the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Hall of Fame.

Following a stem cell transplant in June 2024, which has positively impacted his health, Land plans to remain in the San Antonio area. He looks forward to spending more time with his wife, Gayle, and his sons, Taylor and Cooper. In retirement, he also plans to watch the Chicago Cubs and, of course, keep a close eye on the Spurs.

Further information regarding the Spurs’ 2024-25 broadcast team will be announced later. The Spurs plan to honor Bill Land at their home opener against the Houston Rockets on Saturday, October 26, 2024.