Marc Zumoff, longtime voice of 76ers, announces retirement

Marc Zumoff has been a fixture at 76ers games for the last 27 years.

The longtime voice of the Philadelphia 76ers is calling it a career after 27 years and more than 2,100 games as the voice of the team.

Marc Zumoff of NBC Sports Philadelphia wrote in a post on the NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com that he has decided to retire after more than 30 years with the team.

“Now, after 39 years of covering 76ers basketball, first as the halftime host and the last 27 years as the television voice, it’s time for me to step away,” Zumoff wrote.

Zumoff says he hopes to spend this next phase of his life doing things he previously did not have time to do.

The voice of the 76ers, @marczumoff , announces his retirement.

Read his letter to you, the fans ⤵️ https://t.co/xOc0uW3QZq

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) June 29, 2021

“I’d like to play a musical instrument, learn to speak a foreign language, cook, travel, and by all means give back with my time and strength to the charitable causes that I hope will make for a better world,” he wrote. “There’s a lot out there for me to still do, and I want to do it all while I’m still able.”

“We sincerely thank Marc Zumoff for all he’s done for this organization, this team and the city of Philadelphia over the last 27 years,” Philadelphia 76ers Managing Partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer said. “We’ll miss his iconic voice and trademark sayings, which have been staples during 76ers games for the better part of two decades. While we congratulate Marc on his retirement, we look forward to properly honoring and celebrating him at a home game during the 2021-22 season.”

During his nearly 30 years in the chair, Zumoff served as the voice behind the careers of several 76er stars including current Sixers GM Elton Brand as well as Andre Iguodala, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Hall of Famer Allen Iverson. He also broadcast games with former 76ers players including Steve Mix, Ed Pinckney, Eric Snow and Alaa Abdelnaby, as well as former NBA player Malik Rose and coach Bob Salmi.

Thank you, @MarcZumoff pic.twitter.com/kWLad4EXy3

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) June 29, 2021

A Philadelphia native and Temple University alumnus, Zumoff joined PRISM in 1982 and served as the in-studio host for pregame, halftime and postgame shows. He was named the play-by-play announcer on August 17, 1994 and went on to win the Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award for best sports play-by-play broadcaster 19 times. Zumoff received the 2018 Bill Campbell Award from the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association and was named twice named the Pennsylvania Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association (2018 and 2019).

A 2011 inductee to the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, Zumoff also served as the voice for NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, as he followed the U.S. Women’s basketball team to its sixth consecutive gold medal. He also did play-by-play for NBA TV and for Turner Sports’ coverage of the NBA, including both regular-season and playoff games, the network’s coverage of the Goodwill Games as well as play-by-play for NBC Sports Philadelphia’s coverage of Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union and college football.

Prior to his time at Temple, Zumoff attended George Washington High School in Northeast Philadelphia. He’s married to his wife Debbie and the couple has two sons, Jake and Pace, and a daughter-in-law, Hanni.

The 76ers organization plans to honor and celebrate Zumoff at a home game during the 2021-22 season. Further details regarding “Marc Zumoff Night” at The Center will be distributed at a later date.