Longtime Bucks announcer Jim Paschke announces retirement

Jim Paschke has served as the television play-by-play announcer for the Bucks for 35 years.

MILWAUKEE — Jim Paschke, the Milwaukee Bucks’ television play-by-play announcer for the last 35 years, plans to retire at the end of the season.

Paschke announced his decision during an interview with two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo before the Bucks’ Tuesday night game with the Brooklyn Nets.

After 35 years of calling the action on Bucks broadcasts, Jim Paschke will retire at the end of the 2020-21 season.@Paschketball explains the decision to @Giannis_An34: pic.twitter.com/BIDZDmOies

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) May 4, 2021

Paschke’s overall broadcasting career has lasted 48 years. He has called more than 2,000 Bucks games. He also has called games for University of Wisconsin football and basketball, the Milwaukee Brewers and Marquette basketball among other assignments.

He was the 2018 recipient of the NBA’s Todd Harris Award, which recognizes an NBA broadcaster or executive for showing teamwork and providing inspiration. Paschke was only the second person to receive that award.

Paschke, together with longtime television partners Jon McGlocklin and Marques Johnson, won five regional Emmy Awards for his work on Bucks broadcasts. In 2007, he became a member of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame as a “Friend of Basketball” and in 2013 was inducted into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ prestigious Silver Circle, an honor given to outstanding individuals who have devoted 25 years or more to the local television industry. Paschke was also inducted into the Milwaukee Press Club’s Milwaukee Media Hall of Fame in 2014.

A native of Bloomington, Minnesota, Paschke attended the University of Minnesota and Brown College in Minneapolis. His distinguished broadcasting career began in radio and has also included television roles as the sports director at WMTV in Madison and WITI in Milwaukee. In addition to his 35 years as the television voice of the Bucks, Paschke has called the action for University of Wisconsin football and basketball, Milwaukee Brewers baseball, Milwaukee Admirals hockey, Marquette University basketball and auto races at Wisconsin State Fair Park.

The Bucks and Bally Sports Wisconsin will honor Paschke throughout the remainder of the 2020-21 regular season on upcoming broadcasts by sharing his most memorable calls, featuring stories from former players and broadcasting colleagues and highlighting the legacy he has forged on Bucks broadcasts. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.