This is super scary to see.
Atlanta Hawks announcer Bob Rathbun appears to have some seizure live on-air during the pregame show.
Awful Announcing has more.
During the pregame show on Bally Sports Southeast leading into the network’s Thunder-Hawks broadcast, Hawks play-by-play broadcaster Bob Rathburn had a medical emergency on the air.
The broadcast quickly cut to a commercial. When it returned, host Kelly Crull said Rathbun was doing okay.
No word was given on what happened, but it is safe to assume Rathbun is on his way to the hospital to be checked out thoroughly.
If you aren’t familiar with Rathbun, he is a long time media fixture in Atlanta.
Robert Courtland Rathbun (born November 25, 1954) is an American sportscaster, motivational speaker, and author. He has been the television play-by-play announcer for the Atlanta Hawks basketball games on Bally Sports South since 1996.
He is the play-by-play announcer for the NBA Atlanta Hawks, and the WNBA Atlanta Dream. He is currently partnered with Dominique Wilkins, a nine-time NBA All-Star and player for the Hawks. In addition, Rathbun also serves as the play-by-play announcer for Southeastern Conference football games on FSN South and Atlantic Coast Conference college basketball and football games for Raycom Sports.
Rathbun served as the play-by-play announcer on Atlanta Braves baseball games on Fox Sports Net (formerly SportsSouth) from 1997 to 2006.
Rathbun began his career as a sports director for WSTP Radio in Salisbury, North Carolina, in 1973.
He has previously done broadcast work for both the Washington Bullets and Baltimore Orioles. His baseball experience includes play-by-play gigs with Tidewater Tides, and the Richmond Braves.
From 1992 to 1994, Rathbun worked as a radio broadcaster for the Detroit Tigers. Rathbun and Rick Rizzs replaced legendary Tigers’ voice Ernie Harwell and his partner Paul Carey. Rathbun was very unpopular with Detroit fans.[citation needed] At the end of the 1994 season, Rizzs and Rathbun were fired.
After being named Virginia Sportscaster of the Year six separate times, he was awarded the same honor in Georgia in 1998. In 2008, he was named to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Rathbun is a 1976 graduate of Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina and was inducted in the school’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2006, and a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1988.
Here is the update on his condition.
Statement from Bally Sports Southeast: “Prior to tonight’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, play-by-play announcer Bob Rathbun briefly lost consciousness on the court. Emergency medical professionals on-site quickly treated Rathbun for dehydration.
He is stable, responsive and heading to Emory Midtown for further evaluation.”
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