Play by play, starting at JMU

Media Arts and Design
 
Steve Buckhantz

Steve Buckhantz, the play-by-play announcer for the Wizards, started his sports career working at campus radio station WXJM and at Harrisonburg's WHSV TV.

The bright lights illuminated his already stoic stature on the court while he wrapped up his Comcast SportsNet post-game show following a bitter battle between two in-conference rivals. When the on-air light on top of the TV camera went off, Buckhantz’s long day of work was finally over and he headed to the front row of the Verizon Center, where a group of kids and a college student awaited him.

He gave a broad smile as soon as his eyes caught the row’s gaze.

“Do you guys want to see some of the players? Come up to the front of the row!” he eagerly requested to the group of younger children.

And then he turned to the college student whom he had only known from a phone conversation.

“Glad you could make it out. How are you doing?” he said. 

Buckhantz has surpassed his 17-year career mark as the voice of the Washington Wizards. Accompanied by former-NBA player, Phil Chenier, his broadcast is filled with quality facts and charisma. After nearly 40 years in sports broadcasting, he shows no signs of slowing down.

As a play-by-play announcer, Buckhantz’s work begins in August when the NBA Summer League starts up. Buckhantz follows players throughout every game, building his own set of detailed notes: a compilation of stat-lines, physicality and even random facts.   

“I do a lot of research on the teams, which is easier now with special software,” Buckhantz said. “…But there once was a time where we had to do it evergreen…it was all written on paper.”

And just as the research methods have evolved, so has his career, starting all the way back at Washington Lee High School where he played football and hosted the morning announcements.

Buckhantz said those days were all about “getting my feet wet with communications.”

In college,he dove in.

After attending the University of Miami for his first semester, he decided he wanted to go to a smaller school.

Ellis Wisler, who was his high school football coach, was instrumental in Buckhantz’s move to James Madison University. Wisler, an assistant football coach at JMU at the time, had touted the school to Buckhantz.

Attending JMU allowed Buckhantz to finally get his hands on all of the equipment. He became the sports director at WXJM, the school radio station, but that wasn’t enough. One day he found an open position to do color-commentary for the JMU men’s basketball team. He auditioned by recording his own color commentary for a Washington Bullets basketball game. He also worked at Harrisonburg’s WHSV-TV, his first break into television.

Each media market led to a larger one: Harrisonburg, then Chattanooga, then Nashville, and then Atlanta, where he finally got to cover professional teams.

From watching future-NBA legend Dominique Wilkins develop at the University of Georgia to open media play-days on the fresh, green course of the Masters at Augusta, Buckhantz was there to witness it all.

In 1984, he got one of his biggest opportunities: broadcasting sports for his hometown at Washington, D.C.’s FOX 5 News.

Although he has achieved prominence in the sports broadcasting business, he’s always looking for more.

Buckhantz continued to do play-by-play behind the scenes. For 14 years he was the voice of Navy Football and also broadcast a few NFL games that FOX covered.

In 1997, Buckhantz’s childhood dream came true when he was chosen as the new play-by-play voice of the Washington Bullets. It was the career destination he had always wanted.

He has chiseled his name into the D.C. and NBA scene with his sporadic lingo, “Dagger!” and “Backbreaker!” As a native of the capital’s basketball culture for so long, his knowledge and input on the team is insurmountable.

Since Buckhantz travels with the Wizards to every game, he has an inside look at their chemistry. He’s able to analyze beyond a regular stat sheet bringing their personalities to the frontline of every broadcast.

Even with such an admired resume, the Verizon Center has become his true home.

“Right now,” he said, “I’m doing what I love to do.” 

Story by Kathaleen Maniatakis (’16); Photo Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

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Published: Monday, August 10, 2015

Last Updated: Thursday, November 2, 2023

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