Detroit Pistons Announcer Honored with Media Award

On September 5, the Hall of Fame finally caught up to what Detroiters have known for decades. Detroit Pistons announcer George Blaha was presented with the Curt Gowdy Media Award, placing him alongside the greatest storytellers the game has ever known.

A Lifetime on the Call

Blaha began in 1976, when the Pistons were still working to win over Detroit. By the end of the ’80s, the Bad Boys had taken over the NBA — and Blaha’s calls were the soundtrack. Isiah Thomas carving up defenses, Joe Dumars’ steady hand, Laimbeer throwing elbows, Rodman flying around the rim — Blaha gave those moments life.

When Detroit raised banners in ’89 and ’90, his excitement wasn’t forced. He sounded like the rest of the city: proud, a little defiant, and unwilling to let anyone forget what they’d accomplished.

Two decades later, he was there again. The 2004 Pistons weren’t supposed to beat the Lakers. Four Hall of Famers on one roster against a team built on defense and balance. Yet night after night, Blaha described how Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace, and Rasheed Wallace shocked the league. His famous line — “Count that baby and a foul!” — became the heartbeat of a championship run.

Feb 10, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chauncey Billups (right) shakes hands with television and radio play by play announcer George Blaha during the halftime retirement ceremony in the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-Imagn Images | Raj Mehta-Imagn Images

The Constant in Detroit

What makes Blaha different isn’t just the big games. It’s that he made the small ones matter.

He treated a Tuesday night in February the same way he did a playoff showdown in June. Fans knew he wouldn’t fake the energy. Even when the Pistons were at the bottom of the standings, he found a way to make a dunk, a steal, or a rookie’s first bucket feel worth remembering.

That consistency built trust. For 49 years, Detroiters have known that no matter how the team played, George Blaha would be there — steady, reliable, familiar.

A Well-Deserved Honor

The Curt Gowdy Media Award puts him in elite company. Names like Marv Albert, Chick Hearn, Doris Burke, and Mike Breen already sit in that circle. Now Blaha joins them, though to Pistons fans, he’s always belonged there.

More than 3,800 games have passed through his microphone. That number will keep climbing this fall. Few broadcasters in any sport can match that run with a single team.

Year 50

As he enters his 50th season, Blaha isn’t slowing down. The Pistons are young, trying to climb back to relevance, but the voice that has called their greatest moments is still ready to describe the next one.

For Detroit, this award wasn’t just about a broadcaster. It was about a relationship. A city, its team, and the man who told their story for nearly half a century.

George Blaha’s speech following his @Hoophall 2025 Curt Gowdy Media Award recognition! pic.twitter.com/pUODwv09Mk
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) September 6, 2025