Brian Wheeler
Encyclopedia
"Brain Wheeler" is also a British dwarf actor who appeared in BBC children's show Trapped!
.
Brian Wheeler, commonly known by the nickname "Wheels", is the play-by-play radio announcer for the Portland Trail Blazers
of the National Basketball Association
and host of a daily radio program.
, where he was exposed at an early age to some of the most revered voices in sports broadcasting history, including Vin Scully
of the Los Angeles Dodgers
and Chick Hearn
of the Los Angeles Lakers
.
Wheeler attended Loyola University
in Chicago
, where he earned a degree in Broadcasting and Communications.
, where he called play-by-play for soccer, women's softball
, and basketball
for station WLUW-FM.
Wheeler went on to work in a series of broadcasting jobs in Chicago, including time working for Northwestern University
, the Chicago White Sox
, and SportsChannel. He worked for the NBA's Chicago Bulls
during their first championship season.
Wheeler moved from Chicago to Seattle, Washington, to take a job working for the Seattle SuperSonics
, remaining there for two seasons, also hosting a radio talk show on the team's flagship radio station.
Wheeler later worked as a broadcaster for the WNBA
team the Sacramento Monarchs
, also hosting pre-game and post-game shows for the Sacramento Kings
of the National Basketball Association.
to take a job as radio play-by-play announcer for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. Wheeler was placed in the difficult position of replacing broadcaster Bill Schonely
, the team's radio play-by-play announcer since its inaugural season in 1970–71—a situation which he later likened to entering a "hornets' nest". Wheeler was able to put distance between himself and Schonely by adhering to the promise made to his new employers to call games "like a fan would call them". The resulting mixture of shrill "homerism" and forthright honesty soon found its niche with fans.
Wheeler is best known for his frenetic style, loud and passionate delivery, and trademark calls such as "BOOM-SHAKA-LAKA!" following energetic Trail Blazer dunks
, "Yes sir!", "Ring it up!" and "Ooh, that was nasty!". Whenever player Nicholas Batum makes a dunk, however, he replaces his "BOOM-SHAKA-LAKA!" call with "BATUM-SHAKA-LAKA!". After the final play of each Trail Blazer win, Wheeler concludes by saying, "It's a great day to be a Blazer."
Wheeler's radio partner in the role of analyst
is former Trail Blazer player Antonio Harvey
.
Wheeler hosted a daily radio talk show on KXTG-FM 95.5 The Game called Wheels at Work(originally "Wheels After Work").
In September 2010, Wheeler announced that he would step down from the Wheels at Work radio show to spend more time working on the Blazers broadcast side of his life.
In addition, he is a "Sports Broadcasting" course instructor for the online sports career training school Sports Management Worldwide
in Portland.
Trapped! (TV series)
Trapped! is a British television children's game show that has been broadcast on CBBC and BBC One since 28 September 2007.-Trapped! :...
.
Brian Wheeler, commonly known by the nickname "Wheels", is the play-by-play radio announcer for the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
and host of a daily radio program.
Early years
Wheeler grew up in Southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, where he was exposed at an early age to some of the most revered voices in sports broadcasting history, including Vin Scully
Vin Scully
Vincent Edward Scully is an American sportscaster, known primarily as the play-by-play voice of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team on Prime Ticket, KCAL-TV and KABC radio...
of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and Chick Hearn
Chick Hearn
Francis Dayle "Chick" Hearn was an American sportscaster. Known primarily as the long-time play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, the legendary Hearn is remembered for his rapid fire, staccato broadcasting style, inventing colorful phrases such...
of the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
Wheeler attended Loyola University
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where he earned a degree in Broadcasting and Communications.
Early broadcast career
Brian Wheeler began his radio career as a broadcaster for his alma mater, Loyola University ChicagoLoyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
, where he called play-by-play for soccer, women's softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
for station WLUW-FM.
Wheeler went on to work in a series of broadcasting jobs in Chicago, including time working for Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, and SportsChannel. He worked for the NBA's Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
during their first championship season.
Wheeler moved from Chicago to Seattle, Washington, to take a job working for the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
, remaining there for two seasons, also hosting a radio talk show on the team's flagship radio station.
Wheeler later worked as a broadcaster for the WNBA
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
team the Sacramento Monarchs
Sacramento Monarchs
The Sacramento Monarchs were a basketball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 until folding on November 20, 2009...
, also hosting pre-game and post-game shows for the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
of the National Basketball Association.
Career in Portland
In 1998, Wheeler came to Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
to take a job as radio play-by-play announcer for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. Wheeler was placed in the difficult position of replacing broadcaster Bill Schonely
Bill Schonely
Bill Schonely , nicknamed "The Schonz", is an American sports broadcaster who was the first play-by-play announcer for the Portland Trail Blazers. A native of Pennsylvania, he worked in radio in Louisiana and Seattle before settling in Portland, Oregon...
, the team's radio play-by-play announcer since its inaugural season in 1970–71—a situation which he later likened to entering a "hornets' nest". Wheeler was able to put distance between himself and Schonely by adhering to the promise made to his new employers to call games "like a fan would call them". The resulting mixture of shrill "homerism" and forthright honesty soon found its niche with fans.
Wheeler is best known for his frenetic style, loud and passionate delivery, and trademark calls such as "BOOM-SHAKA-LAKA!" following energetic Trail Blazer dunks
Slam dunk
A slam dunk is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air and manually powers the ball downward through the basket with one or both hands over the rim. This is considered a normal field goal attempt; if successful it is worth two points. The term "slam dunk" was...
, "Yes sir!", "Ring it up!" and "Ooh, that was nasty!". Whenever player Nicholas Batum makes a dunk, however, he replaces his "BOOM-SHAKA-LAKA!" call with "BATUM-SHAKA-LAKA!". After the final play of each Trail Blazer win, Wheeler concludes by saying, "It's a great day to be a Blazer."
Wheeler's radio partner in the role of analyst
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
is former Trail Blazer player Antonio Harvey
Antonio Harvey
Antonio Harvey is a retired American professional basketball player.He attended Southern Illinois University , Connors State College , the University of Georgia , and Pfeiffer University . He was bypassed in the 1993 NBA draft...
.
Wheeler hosted a daily radio talk show on KXTG-FM 95.5 The Game called Wheels at Work(originally "Wheels After Work").
In September 2010, Wheeler announced that he would step down from the Wheels at Work radio show to spend more time working on the Blazers broadcast side of his life.
In addition, he is a "Sports Broadcasting" course instructor for the online sports career training school Sports Management Worldwide
Sports Management Worldwide
Sports Management Worldwide is a sports agency and private for-profit sports management training institution based in Portland, Oregon. It is an accredited online Sports Management school and is certified by the Oregon Department of Education. SMWW offers online sports career training courses, and...
in Portland.