Knicks radio's Tyler Murray, ex-Tortugas voice, delivers chilling title call

Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-JournalThu, June 18, 2026 at 9:02 AM UTC

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Tyler Murray made it through one final sponsor read.

Barely.

Then, the emotion of the moment — one the New York Knicks and their long-suffering supporters, including Murray, fantasized about for more than a half-century — finally washed over the team's 35-year-old play-by-play radio broadcaster and his partner, Monica McNutt.

Both began crying in the aftermath of the Knicks' 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on June 13, clinching their first NBA championship since 1973. Still, there was a job to do in the waning moments of the call on 880 AM ESPN New York and MSG Networks.

"The final score is presented by your local Kia dealers," Murray recalls stating.

"Hopefully they got their money's worth, but I'm just sobbing through (reading), 'The APR is really reasonable, get yourself a nice Sorento.' I was able to hold it together for the most important parts, but once you see the celebrations, the hugs and the tears on the court, it's tough not to get overwhelmed yourself — most of it disbelief, fifty-plus years of relief, and just excitement for the players and the fans."

It's a dream job for Connecticut native Murray, hooked on basketball three decades ago when he first saw Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny star in Space Jam. Murray's professional path to the Big Apple included two stints in Volusia County, serving as a broadcast intern for the Daytona Cubs in 2012 and then returning three years later as the Tortugas' lead play-by-play voice.

Voice of the Knicks has deep Florida ties

Following the 2015 season, Murray was named the Florida State League's Broadcaster of the Year, as voted upon by peers and general managers.

"Obviously, we're super proud of him," said Jim Jaworski, the Tortugas' president and general manager. "Very similar to the players on the field, it was his goal to continue on in his career and make it to the highest level possible. For him, specifically, it was his dream to be with the Knicks. He's definitely one of the best that has been here in my time. Watching him this year, you can hear in his voice how much it means to him."

That winter, Murray got his first basketball break when he started calling Stetson games on ESPN3. He moved closer to home in 2016, splitting most of the following decade between minor league baseball (New Hampshire Fisher Cats and Worcester Red Sox) and college athletics (Boston University, Harvard, Dartmouth, UMass Amherst, New Hampshire and Hockey East Association).

"Some of my hockey friends would give me a hard time; 'You're doing Boston University-Boston College hockey on NESN, why are you taking time to do UMass basketball on the radio on an off night?' It was because basketball was what I always wanted," Murray said. "Even if there's a little chance of it, I wanted to get reps and get better and push toward that. Then I got the break of a lifetime when the Knicks job opened up."

Former Daytona Tortugas and Stetson broadcaster Tyler Murray, right, is the radio voice of the NBA champion New York Knicks, alongside Monica McNutt and Hall of Fame point guard Walt Frazier.

Howie Singer, MSG Network's longtime director of Knicks broadcasts, heard Murray calling hockey games for UMass Amherst, his alma mater. Singer asked around, found Murray's résumé and brought him in for an interview at the company's headquarters in Midtown Manhattan.

"I remember saying in the interview something like that it was really cool to even be in this building," Murray said. "Then I remember thinking, 'Alright, act like you've been here before.' … You're not going to get a chance like this again."

What Tyler Murray saw during Knicks' championship run

On Sept. 12, 2024, MSG Networks announced it had hired Murray as the Knicks' radio play-by-play voice. It's a position previously held by the likes of Marty Glickman, Marv Albert and Mike Breen, among others. Breen called the NBA Finals on the national television broadcast for ABC and ESPN. It was the highest-rated championship series since 1998 with an average of 19.6 million viewers.

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The Knicks closed with 15 wins in their final 16 games, including a playoff-record 13-game unbeaten run that stretched from the first round until Game 3 of the Finals. New York rallied from a 2-1 series deficit against the Atlanta Hawks, swept both the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers in succession and toppled the favored Spurs.

Jalen Brunson earned NBA Finals Most Valuable Player honors by averaging 32.6 points per game, including a 45-point outburst in the closeout contest. OG Anunoby, however, delivered the seminal moment in Game 4 by tipping home a missed 3-pointer to give New York a one-point lead with 1.2 seconds left.

The Knicks trailed that night by as many as 29. Josh Hart partially blocked Stephon Castle's shot attempt before the buzzer, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Popcorn from the stands pelted Murray as he described the largest comeback in NBA Finals history. Taking a moment for McNutt to provide her analysis, Murray picked up a few kernels off the desk and ate them.

"You try not to think about it too much in the moment," Murray said when asked about being forever a part of the Knicks' soundtrack. "If you get too much inside your own head, you can freak out a little bit. For me, the ultimate safety net has been the greatest of all-time, Mike Breen, calling the game on ESPN.

"He's a Knicks fan, too. In my mind, no matter how good or how bad I do on these big calls, Mike Breen's going to be the voice heard throughout history, and deservedly so. He's been a great mentor to me, and it's just a thrill to be able to call games in the same building as him and even fill in for him sometimes on the TV broadcasts when he's calling national games. That's the great thing; I can do great, I can do OK, but I know Mike Breen is going to nail it because he's the voice of the NBA and the voice of the Knicks. That's going to be the lasting image and the lasting sound. Having a little bit of that freedom helped me relax and just let it rip when the final horn sounded."

Tyler Murray now knows if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere

Ben Stiller called Murray and McNutt "championship level broadcasters" in a quote tweet on X. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said Murray delivered a "classic and classy call."

"I think I'm just so constantly star-struck that it all feels the same at this point," Murray said. "I'm star-struck by Patrick Ewing being with the team on the road, or Allan Houston, my favorite player, being in the front office, or even Jalen Brunson, who turned this franchise around almost singlehandedly. To see him holding the trophy, there's certainly a level of awe to it.

"Ben Stiller, he's the kind of celebrity fan that makes it even cooler to be a Knicks fan. Timothée Chalamet's in that category as well. Those guys in particular and so many others — you know the names — care so much about the team. You can tell they've watched the team for years. And you can tell they're not there just for the cool seats and the PR."

Radio broadcasters Tyler Murray, left, and Monica McNutt pose with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the Knicks will have a ticker-tape parade along Broadway from Battery Park through the Canyon of Heroes and stopping at City Hall at 10 a.m. June 18.

"I don't think anyone's going to be able to move for 50 blocks," Murray said.

The trophy's in hand and will be prominently displayed during the parade, but the Knicks will not receive the rings for a few months — likely ahead of next season's opening game. Team employees, including announcers, often get a ring of their own, though it depends on the budget set forth by ownership.

No assumptions are being made, though Murray might have an idea where to place it.

"I have one from 2018 in Double-A with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, and we've got that prominently displayed," Murray said. "I haven't even really thought about it. The fact that the championship ring for the Knicks exists is mind-blowing enough. If there was one in my house, it wouldn't really make sense to my brain. Incredible, and I'm excited to see what it looks like.

"For the sport of basketball, it's one of the most significant championships I can even think of."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Knicks radio voice Tyler Murray got first big break with Tortugas

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