Michael Grady | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 22, 1983 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
| Other names | "MG" |
| Alma mater | Vincennes University |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
Michael Grady Jr. (born October 22, 1983) is an American play-by-play sports announcer. He is mostly well known for his work with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He currently works for NBC's sports division, NBC Sports , as well as Amazon's NBA on Prime , covering the NBA. [1]
Michael Grady was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, to parents Michael Grady Sr. and Mavis Grady. His father was in the military during his childhood, and by the time he was four-years-old, his parents had divorced. [2] His mother worked as a correctional officer, [2] and Grady says she was his "biggest cheerleader" and "biggest fan". [3]
According to Grady, he knew he wanted to be a commentator at a young age, inspired by Ahmad Rashad [4] and the acclaimed Bob Costas. [2] [4] This contradicts Grady's earlier statement in 2014, that it was coincidence and he "was cut from sports and wondered what I could do with my time," a quote he told to John Griffin of Radio Indiana. [5] Still, it was when attending Warren Central High School that he began doing play-by-plays for his highschool's basketball team. [2]
He later attended Vincennes University, graduating in 2003 and earning his degree in broadcast journalism and being certified by the Radio Advertising Bureau. [6] [7]
Michael Grady began his career in 2003, as a radio producer in Indianapolis. He worked board operations at 1070 WBIC (now WFNI) for several shows, including cooking and comedy. [1] Most notably, though, he produced Indiana Sports Talk, a radio show hosted by Bob Lovell. [8] [9]
In 2007, Grady moved to 107.5 ESPN Radio , and worked as an exeecutive producer for the newly launced 1070 The Fan. He began covering the Indiana Pacers there in 2008, though not sponsored by the organization at the time. [8]
When working for ESPN, Grady would get the chance to become the public addresser inside the arena for the Indiana Pacers. [4] He would hold this position for all seven years he was with the Pacers.
He would also co-host the Grady and Big Joe Show alongside Joe Staysniak. The radio show was aired on 107.5 ESPN's 1070 The Fan. [10]
In 2013, following the Pacer's playoff run, Michael Grady would begin working on television. He would do postgame reports on-site for ABC's Indianapolis branch, WRTV (at the time called RTV6). When the team made the Eastern Conference Finals, Grady would be promoted to WRTV's sport anchor. [4]
In 2014, Grady would make the Indianapolis Business Journal's Forty Under 40 list. [5]
He would juggle all of his broadcasting jobs for years, occasionally also covering the Indiana Fever, and because of his work he was named the 2016 Indiana Sportscaster of the Year, an award voted on by the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. [8] [11]
Michael Grady moved to New York City when he joined the YES Network in 2017, where he worked as both a sideline reporter for the Brooklyn Nets and a play-by-play commentator for the WNBA's New York Liberty. [12] Grady would briefly commentate a stint of Nets games while standing in for Ian Eagle. [3]
Grady left the Nets to work for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Bally Sports North (now FanDuel Sports Network North) [13] in 2022, replacing Dave Benz. [12] He won a regional Emmy award for his work with the Timberwolves, on October 14, 2023. [14] It was during this first year with the Wolves that he would become popular online for his tendency to say "cash" when the team would hit clutch shots.
Grady made his debut with TNT Sports on March 26, 2024, during a regular season game between the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings, co-commentating with Greg Anthony. [15]
In 2025, Michael Grady was hired by both Amazon Prime Video and NBC during the NBA's additions to its broadcasting networks. He will still be doing occasional play-by-play commentary for the Timberwolves during the 2025–2026 season. [16]
Michael Grady won his first Emmy award in 2016 for his coverage of the Indianapolis 500 that year. [6]
As of 2014, Michael Grady was married to a woman named Deandra, but not much is known about the relationship. [5] In 2018, he was reportedly married to another woman named Erica, whom he met in New York. Grady has one stepson, named Tai, from his marriage to Erica. [3]
In 2022, Grady's mother died after battling cancer for five years. [3]
Michael Grady has worked with several nonprofits. As of 2017, Grady was serving on the Arts Council of Indianapolis. He also has done work with the American Diabetes Association as well as the Gleaners Community Food Bank in Indiana. [6]
Grady marched in the George Floyd protests in New York. [3]
| Year | Title | Role | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–2017 | Indiana Pacers | Play-by-play | Fox Sports Indiana |
| 2017–2022 | Brooklyn Nets | YES Network | |
| 2022–present | Minnesota Timberwolves | Play-by-play (lead) | FanDuel Sports Network North |
| 2024–2025 | NBA on ABC/ESPN | Play-by-play (secondary) | ESPN (ABC) |
| 2025–present | NBA on NBC | NBC/Peacock/NBCSN | |
| NBA on Prime Video | Prime Video | ||
| 2026–present | College Basketball on NBC Sports | Play-by-play | NBC/Peacock/NBCSN |