Sad news in the broadcasting and play-by-play world. David J. Halberstam, whose broadcast stops included long tenures as the voice of St. John's basketball (during their legendary years when Chris Mullin and Walter Berry starred among others), and the Miami Heat, passed away.
His final venture was the well-received Sports Broadcast Journal site, and from what I could tell, his last article was at the end of 2025. Below is the email that was received earlier today by those on the Sports Broadcast Journal site:
We write to share the sad news that David J. Halberstam passed away after a years long battle with brain cancer. He leaves behind Donna, his wife of 39 years, three children, and seven grandchildren.
David J. Halberstam spent almost fifty years in some version of sports. He would say that he’s a jack of all trades and a master of none. His noted on-air work in New York was calling St. John’s basketball (1982-1992) and later the Miami Heat (1992–1998). David spent years in sales and broadcast management, including as EVP, General Manager of Westwood One Sports (2002-2008). Halberstam wrote two books, one on radio sports history, Sports on New York Radio: A Play-by-Play History (1998), and one on advertising sales, Sports Media and Sponsorship Sales: Developing New Accounts (2016). His greatest honor was serving as a voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame's Ford Frick Award.
He launched Sports Broadcast Journal in 2018. He noted that running Sports Broadcast Journal was his "last dream." David put endless passion and effort into this site. Thank you to the readers over the years who fed that passion and gave him great joy.
Rest In Peace, David. You'll be missed.
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