Chicago Bulls’ broadcasts will sound different next season.
When Chicago Bulls‘ basketball returns to the United Center for the 2020-21 season, it will sound quite a bit different than it has for the past 30 years because they’re about to get a brand new voice. No, we’re not talking about a new voice on the sidelines — though that would be nice (hint, hint Arturas Karnisovas).
Rather, the new voice will be broadcasting across the airwaves to those watching their beloved Bulls at home on television.
Recently, Adam Amin tweeted a heartfelt message thanking his ESPN family for the opportunity to break into the sports media business. His farewell announcement has been inevitable since he agreed to take on the role of broadcasting NFL and MLB games for the Fox Sports network.
However, until very recently, we didn’t know that Amin was in line for another gig that is obviously near and dear to his heart. And that gig is as the television play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Bulls.
Amin will be replacing the legendary Neil Funk, who has mentioned earlier, has been the voice of the Bulls for nearly 30 years. As fans, hearing a broadcasters name or voice conjures up indelible moments from our childhood or youth and brings us back to that moment in time. After a while, they become inextricably linked to your fan experience.
Growing up a New York Yankees fan, I still get chills when I hear the voice of Bob Sheppard. When I think of Phil Rizzuto, I think back to warm summer nights with the windows open watching the meddling Yankees teams of the 1980s.
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For generations of Bulls fans, that’s what Neil Funk will represent. And now Amin will attempt to step into those humongous shoes and try to be that for the next generation. Amin seems uniquely situated to do just that. He’s young (at only 33-years-old) and is a native of Chicago. He has demonstrated over his brief career that he has the ability to draw in and connect with the younger crowd.
While he has called a few games for the Bulls on NBCSportsChicago, he will now be given the keys fulltime and will be expected to connect the fans to the game in an intimate way. If he does, years from now, someone may get chills when they hear his voice again.