Longtime Trail Blazers Announcer Tragically Passes Away

Ricardo Klein | Nov 9, 2024

Nov 3, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; The Portland Trail Blazers logo at center court before the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Longtime Portland Trail Blazers announcer Brian Wheeler has passed away.

He was 62.

Senior NBA insider for Andscape and ESPN Marc Spears shared the news via Twitter/X.

The Portland Trail Blazers announce the passing of former radio announcer Brian Wheeler on Friday. Wheeler, better known as “Wheels,” served as the radio voice of the Trail Blazers for 21 seasons from 1998-2019. Rest in Peace my friend.

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) November 9, 2024

Wheeler was the play-by-play voice of Trail Blazers basketball on the radio for 21 years, calling 1,823 games for Portland since he joined the organization in 1998. 

The Trail Blazers released a statement on Wheeler's passing on Saturday, saying, "His love for the game and passion for the Trail Blazers came through in every radio call, making each play a thrill for every listener tuning in. As we mourn Wheels' passing, we fondly remember his post-win declaration: “And once again, we can say: It’s a great day to be a Blazer!"

In the 208-19 season, Wheeler missed some games and eventually did not return due to an illness. In a press release, he expressed how much the Blazers, the fans, and the job meant to him.

"I want to thank the Portland Trail Blazers for the incredible opportunity and honor of calling radio play-by-play for the past 21 years," Wheeler said in a press release in 2019. “I was honored and blessed to be a Blazer for 21 seasons, and fortunately, I’ve accumulated some precious memories that will last a lifetime.”

Wheeler, better known as "Wheeler," passed away on Friday, Nov. 8. In 2007, he was named Oregon Sportscaster of the Ye07, recognizing his impact on the state’s sports culture. His iconic trademark call of “BOOM-SHAKA-LAKA” is still widely used across the industry and a fan favorite to this day inside Moda Center. 

The current Trail Blazers radio play-by-play announcer, Travis Demers, expressed his sadness about the person he was mentored by and eventually succeeded.

"The world lost a great man today," Demers continued. "He was a mentor to me. He really went out of his way to help me put on the best broadcast that I could. He was the voice of a generation and more."

Wheeler was raised in Los Angeles and learned from broadcasting greats like Vin Scully and Chick Hearn. He attended Loyola University in Chicago, beginning his broadcasting career on campus before making it to the pros. His 35-year broadcasting career included stops with the Sacramento Kings & Monarchs, Seattle Sonics, and Chicago Bulls before 21 seasons in Portland.

The Trial Blazers community lost a good person who was with the team through the good, the bad, and the ugly.

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