After covering the Oklahoma City Thunder as a play-by-play television analyst for Fox Sports for the last 10 years, Brian Davis will not return for the 2018-19 season.
The team released a statement earlier today saying, “The Thunder has made a decision to go in a different direction. We greatly appreciate Brian’s contributions to the Thunder organization over the past 10 years, and we wish him well in the future. In conjunction with Fox Sports Oklahoma, the Thunder will now begin the search for a new play-by-play announcer.”
Brian Davis earned a reputation over the last decade for making wild, outlandish commentary during Thunder basketball games, including such outbursts like “He made chicken salad out of chicken somethin'” and “Cockin’ the hammer and pullin’ the trigger” but he received some bad spotlight after making a questionable comment in the Thunder’s regular season finale against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Following an especially impressive pass from Russell Westbrook that led to a bucket, Davis said, “(Westbrook) must be out of his cotton-picking mind.” While Davis undoubtedly intended no ill will, the comment has racist connotations, and he was suspended temporarily because of it.
Davis immediately apologized, recognizing that, while he meant nothing of the comment, it was still not appropriate.
In a personal statement made on his Facebook page, Davis commented that “Coming to Oklahoma City was the best thing that ever happened to me” and that he will be “forever grateful” for his time with the Thunder organization. He also put out a brief statement on Twitter.
So, time to go. So much that I’ll miss but I’m excited to discover what lies ahead. Know this: I’ll carry with me powerful memories of all the moments—too many to count—which I was blessed to share with the incredible people who live in a very special place called Thunder Nation.
— Brian Davis (@TrueBDokc) June 15, 2018
While Brian Davis’s play-by-play commentary was sometimes questionable, he was known around the organization as a kind and gentle man, and he will undoubtedly be missed by many.
Davis’s counterpart Michael Cage will continue as an analyst for the Thunder, but who will be joining him has yet to be decided. Some believe that the position will be filled by official Thunder radio play-by-play caller Matt Pinto.
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