George Blaha delivers acceptiance speech on September 5, 2025.

Legendary Detroit Pistons announcer George Blaha was honored with the 2025 Curt Gowdy Media Award during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony on September 5.

During his acceptance speech, Blaha said, “I’ll start my 50th year broadcasting Detroit Pistons basketball this fall,” Blaha said. “It has been an awesome ride, describing the excitement that the Pistons have brought to the game, the great state of Michigan, and the entire basketball world.“

Blaha, who was raised in Grayling, has served as the Pistons’ broadcaster for 49 seasons, calling more than 3,400 regular-season games, over 260 playoff games and all three of the team’s NBA championships (1989, 1990, 2004).

Blaha has handled play-by-play duties for another team even longer. He joined the broadcast team for Michigan State Football in 1971 and continues to juggle both responsibilities.

Blaha was a 2008 inductee to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame and has been the recipient of many industry awards, including the Ty Tyson Award for broadcasting excellence by the Detroit Sports Media Association and two-time Michigan Sports Broadcaster of the Year from the National Sportscasters and Sports Writers Association (2003, 2007).  He was inducted into the Michigan Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2014.

Watch his complete acceptance speech here: