Jim Fagan (actor)
Jim Fagan | |
|---|---|
| Born | James Fagan December 25, 1944 |
| Died | January 19, 2017 (aged 72) |
| Alma mater | West Virginia University |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, voiceover |
| Years active | 1972-2010 |
| Known for | Voice of The NBA on NBC |
| Children | 2 |
James Fagan (December 25, 1944 - January 19, 2017) was an American actor, and voice-over artist.[1]
Fagan attended West Virginia University, on a football scholarship. After breaking his leg freshman year, he returned to play in 1963. Fagan remembered playing against Navy and Roger Staubach. The following year, he got sick, and was told he couldn't play football anymore.[2] He graduated with a fine arts bachelor's degree in 1967.[1]
Fagan spent his career doing voiceover work for the NFL, the NBA, the Olympics, NBC Sports, the World Wrestling Federation[citation needed], the Mountaineer Sports Network and hundreds of commercials. He was also a member of the Order of Vandalia, WVU's highest honor.[3]
Fagan worked as ring announcer for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 2010, taking over for Michael J. LaFave. He faced criticism for his mispronouncing Schipperke.[4] LaFave returned to the post the following year.
In 1989, Fagan provided the voice over narration for NBC Sports's NBA on NBC series. He died in 2017. In 2025, NBC announced it would use AI to recreate Fagan's voice after the network repurchased the rights to the NBA.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "James Fagan". Legacy.com. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
- ^ "Jim Fagin memorial video". YouTube. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
- ^ WVU Sports. "Remembering Jim Fagan". YouTube. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
- ^ Ullmer, Mary. "Unleashed: Dog commercials help take sting out of Westminster's opening night jitters". mLive. The Grand Rapids Press. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
- ^ Weprin, Alex (6 May 2025). "NBC to Use AI to Recreate Voice of Famed NBA Narrator Jim Fagan For Upcoming Season". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
External links
[edit]- James Fagan at IMDb
- Jim Fagan on LinkedIn