Hornets announcer Eric Collins discusses love for Kemba Walker, career priorities

Charlotte Hornets play-by-play announcer Eric Collins is becoming a national star, but that doesn’t mean he’s abandoning his roots. In a recent interview, Collins appeared as a guest on the Awful Announcing Podcast and spoke with Brandon Contes about his enduring ties to the Hornets.

In the interview, Collins also spoke about his love for former Hornets guard Kemba Walker.

Hornets announcer Eric Collins talks about Kemba Walker and discusses his important relationship with Charlotte

Eric Collins deserves to call playoff basketball, playoff football, or any major event in any major sport.pic.twitter.com/wcGpxInydL
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) October 5, 2025

"I fell in love (with Kemba) when I first started in 2015 with the Hornets,” Collins said. “Kemba's my guy. No one's ever gonna replace Kemba, but when Kemba left to go to Boston and then other spots, you know, he comes back to town, and I would say, ‘Hey Kemba, the first basket you get, it’s gonna be a ‘hum-diddly-dee! Welcome back, Kemba!’, but after that, you’re ‘Walker’ for the rest of the broadcast.’”

Collins also reiterated his loyalty to the Hornets and his desire to cover the bulk of their games, despite his forays into other broadcasting opportunities (Amazon Prime recently picked up Collins for national NBA coverage; Collins also does college football and Carolina Panthers games).

"I'm still gonna do the lion's share of Charlotte Hornets games, which is something that was super important to me,” Collins said, alleviating the fears of Hornets fans.

“I was raised a team announcer guy; that's what I've always aspired to do. I want to be associated with the team; roll up your sleeves and do 82 (games). It was important to me to stay with the Hornets full-time."

Hornets fans know how lucky they are to enjoy Collins throughout a full season, and many have assumed he would be tempted by larger deals to leave Charlotte and provide his talents on a grander stage.

That has indeed happened, but it’s refreshing to hear that Collins is interested in remaining with the Hornets, despite new opportunities landing on his desk.

Collins’s enduring loyalty to the Hornets will only make him more beloved in Charlotte for years to come.

Collins will be in the booth once again in 2025-26 alongside Dell Curry, giving Hornets fans another reason to be excited about the upcoming seasons, which begins on Wednesday, October 22, with a home game against the Brooklyn Nets.

Kemba, meanwhile, joined the Hornets’ staff this summer as a player enhancement coach, one day after Walker announced his retirement from the game of basketball as a player.

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