"Humble" Billy Hayes is an American public address announcer for the San Antonio Spurs basketball team of the NBA.
He also served as the public address voice of the Dallas Sidekicks indoor soccer team. and the Dallas Mavericks In addition, Hayes used to host a morning radio show on KDBN, "the Bone," a classic rock radio station in Dallas-Fort Worth. He has also previously hosted a talk show on KLIF, another Dallas area radio station.
As with most NBA public address announcers, Hayes is known for creative ways to get the crowd involved into the game. For example, before opposing players, such as Steve Nash, would shoot a free throw during a regular season or playoff game, Hayes will often introduce the player approaching the foul line for "one noisy shot."
In 2006, during the end of the month of May, KDBN released Humble and Bone Brother Donovan and replaced them with a new morning lineup. Humble then refused several other offers to host radio talk shows so that he could spend more time working as Senior Pastor of a church in Richardson, TX called Grace Church When asked what he does he replies, "I teach people how to love each other."
Prior to the 2009-2010 season, the Mavericks announced that Hayes had moved away from the Dallas area to address an undisclosed family illness. The Mavericks held open tryouts to select a new announcer, with Mike Taylor and Sean Heath being selected as the two finalists. Taylor announced for the Mavericks' season opening game against the Washington Wizards. Heath announced the next home game against the Utah Jazz on November 3rd, and a fan vote will decide who gets the job permanently.
Famous quotes containing the words humble, billy and/or hayes:
“To thee, fair Freedom! I retire
From flattery, cards, and dice, and din:
Nor art thou found in mansions higher
Than the low cot, or humble inn.
‘Tis here with boundless pow’r I reign;
And ev’ry health which I begin
Converts dull port to bright champagne;
Such Freedom crowns it, at an inn.”
—William Shenstone (1714–1763)
““Although I’d lie lapped up in linen
A deal I’d sweat and little earn
If I should live as live the neighbours,”
Cried the beggar, Billy Byrne....”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“We saw the machinery where murderers are now executed. Seven have been executed. The plan is better than the old one. It is quietly done. Only a few, at the most about thirty or forty, can witness [an execution]. It excites nobody outside of the list permitted to attend. I think the time for capital punishment has passed. I would abolish it. But while it lasts this is the best mode.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)