A basketball commentator’s work rate at covering National Basketball Association (NBA) games in the United States from Greece is drawing much attention in the sport’s media circles.
Christos Tsaltas who lives in Patras and writes for SDNA, a sports website stays up into the early hours of the morning to cover an average of three games a night.
When interviewd by NBC Sports Washington, Mr Tsaltas said: “It’s okay, I’m fine about it. I really choose it and I really enjoy every night that we have NBA games.
“It’s something indescribable. It’s a unique experience, especially for me, because I usually saw all those players (on TV). I really admire a lot of players in the NBA. When I had a chance to talk to them, it means something unique.”
Mr Tsaltas has been covering the NBA for the past four years. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic the NBA moved all press conferences onto Zoom which in also allowed reporters from other parts of the world to ask questions live. Mr Tsaltas made full use of the online platform to attend the post-match press conferences remotely from August of last year.
NBA officials marvelled at how often Mr Tsaltas was able to participate in the press conferences. Even the players have noticed his dedication to the sport. Some players, like Miami Heat’s Duncan Robinson, have made sure they answer the Greek reporter’s questions. Their reactions have gone viral on social media.
Mr Tsaltas said his aim was to bring NBA coverage back to Greece particularly since the rise of Giannis Antetokounpo, the Athenian player who has been the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for two years in succession.