Longtime Bulls, NBA voice Durham dies - Chicago Tribune

Durham received the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Media Award in 2011.

"I am stunned. Devastated," said Steve Schanwald, the Bulls' executive vice president of business operations.  "I loved that man, we all did here, and of course Jim was the best in the business at his craft. No one brought the game more to life, brought more energy and humor to the broadcasts or painted a more vivid picture of what was happening on the floor than Jim did. I will miss his company and our conversations a lot. But I will always be grateful for our friendship and the times we shared together. Heartfelt condolences to (wife) Helen and his family."

Durham died during the weekend at his home in Tomball, Texas, ESPN said. No cause of death was announced.

Durham was ESPN's lead radio play-by-play announcer for NBA games, working alongside Jack Ramsay. Durham's final broadcast was Tuesday night's season opener between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.

Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf released this statement on the passing of Jim Durham:

"I was so sorry to learn this morning of Jim Durham's untimely passing. Jim was the voice of the Bulls for 18 years and he was the best at calling a basketball game I ever heard. I loved the energy he brought to our broadcasts, the way he painted a word picture of what was happening on the court which made you feel like you were there, and his sense of humor. Most importantly, Jim was my friend and I will miss the conversations we had about the NBA, life in general, and his favorite baseball team… the Chicago White Sox. On behalf of the entire Chicago Bulls organization, my deepest condolences to Helen and his entire family. He will be greatly missed."

Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said Durham was "just a terrific person."

"Jim was a true professional and class act and I'm sad over the news of his passing," Paxson said. "Over the years when he would broadcast one of our games for ESPN, he never failed to spend a little time catching up on life with me. He did the games as a simulcast with Red (Kerr) when I first came to the Bulls in '85 and through the first championship season here. They were a terrific team but both were better people and great to be around. J.D. was an outstanding announcer with a steady voice and he knew how to call a game with the right balance of emotion and information."

Former Bulls Hall of Fame center Artis Gilmore shared many team flights and bus rides with Durham during his career.
 
"Jim just received an incredible honor (the Curt Gowdy award) at the Hall of Fame a couple of years ago," Gilmore said Monday from his home in Jacksonville, Fla. "He was always cordial to me, and he certainly had a terrific voice. He understood the game of basketball and he made an incredible contribution to the sport. He was probably in the business close to 40 years. He surely will be missed.
 
"I absolutely will remember Jim Durham for his contributions to the game and his demeanor. He was a people person. Jim called the game the way it was and the way he observed it on the floor. I never took personal offense to any (broadcast criticism)."