Pros vs. Joes No. 1: Brian Wheeler is all in on ‘Pros vs. Joes’ challenge
Brian Wheeler hasn’t called play-by-play for an NBA team since being let go by the Trail Blazers after a 21-year run in 2019.
But the long-time radio voice of the local quintet hasn’t given up on a goal to get back into NBA broadcasting.
“Absolutely not,” says Wheeler, 60, who lives in Beaverton. “I’m too young to retire, and can’t afford to, either — two good reasons. But also, I think there are few who would say that, down to my last game with the Blazers, they heard any drop-off in my voice quality. I can still write, see, hear and talk — all the things necessary to do a game.
“Problem is, there are only 30 of these jobs out there. Hopefully, something will open up some time along the way. Or maybe there will be an opportunity in another sport, or with a talk show.”
In the short term, “Wheels” will focus on participation as one of the celebrities filling out an NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in a “Pros vs, Joes” competition sponsored by kerryeggers.com.
Excessive weight was a factor in Wheeler losing his job with the Blazers. It’s still a challenge, though Wheeler says his health is “good … everything is coming together pretty well. Nothing is ever as fast as you’d like it to be, but I’m quite confident my 60’s are going to be healthier than my 50’s.”
One endeavor on Wheeler’s current plate is “Cameo,” which offers personalized video messages from celebrities. Wheeler’s price: A reasonable $25.
“I don’t get an overwhelming amount of requests, and it’s not a major source of income,” Wheeler says. “But it’s a fun thing and an easy thing for me to do.”
Wheeler is also “two-thirds of the way” done with his autobiography, entitled “It’s a Great Day.” It will detail his hiring by the Blazers to replace legendary radio voice Bill Schonely (without a formal interview), his early family life as an adopted child and, in adulthood, meeting his birth parents and members of their family. Broadcaster Mike Breen is writing the foreword.
Brian Wheeler’s autobiography will be entitled, “It’s a Great Day!” (Courtesy Brian Wheeler)
Wheeler dealt with hundreds of players during his two decades of work with the Blazers. His favorite of them all?
“It’s a tough call between one of three players — Damon (Stoudamire), Brandon (Roy) and Damian (Lillard),” Wheeler says. “I guess I’ll go with Damian, who I got to know a little better than the other two. I’ve told him how much I admire the fact that he treats a night-time janitor with the same respect as the president of an organization. He’s a fitting face of the franchise.”
Wheeler worked with four head coaches — Mike Dunleavy, Maurice Cheeks, Nate McMillan and Terry Stotts.
“I liked them all,” he says, “but I’d have to say Terry was my favorite. He was a guy I could ask probing questions, and he never got sensitive about it with me. He knew I was coming at it from a supportive standpoint. He’d remember your birthday and be the first to send you a congratulatory note when something good happened. He was easy to talk to, with a genuineness and humility about him.”
Wheeler’s first eight years coincided with the “Jail Blazers” era.
“They were good teams,” he says. “In one respect, you wanted to defend them because they were winning and giving you good things to talk about. Traveling with the team, I got to know (the players) in a different way. I didn’t experience the negative things, because they didn’t happen to me.
“By the same token, we were put in a tricky situation where we were asked to go on the air and defuse some of the bad news. I told everybody, ‘I don’t think we can ignore something that happens. We have to talk about this to some degree.’ It was tough when you’d get a phone call. You’d be thinking, ‘Is this going to be something else that went wrong?’ And when it was, how were we going to put a good face on it? As time went on, it was nice that we didn’t have to worry about those things anymore.”
Wheeler follows the college basketball scene closely. He is hoping his alma mater — Loyola of Chicago, class of 1983 — makes the NCAA Tournament. The Ramblers, 22-7, lost 102-96 at Northern Iowa Saturday for the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship.
“All the bracketology folks this they have a good enough resume to get in,” Wheeler says. “I’ve watched a lot of their games this year on Roku. … it’s been nice to follow their tracks.”
Wheeler recently watched a 90-minute documentary entitled “The Loyola Project,” detailing the Ramblers’ run to the 1963 NCAA championship as they dealt with racial injustice.
“There is some great footage of that season and current interviews with many of the participants,” Wheeler says. “It’s riveting.”
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