Jim Spanarkel

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Jim Spanarkel

| image = Jim Spanarkel2020.png

| width =

| caption = Spanarkel in 2020

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 5

| weight_lb = 190

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|06|28}}

| birth_place = Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.

| high_school = Hudson Catholic
(Jersey City, New Jersey)

| college = Duke (1975–1979)

| draft_year = 1979

| draft_round = 1

| draft_pick = 16

| draft_team = Philadelphia 76ers

| career_start = 1979

| career_end = 1984

| career_number = 34, 33

| career_position = Shooting guard / small forward

| years1 = {{nbay|1979|full=y}}

| team1 = Philadelphia 76ers

| years2 = {{nbay|1980|start}}–{{nbay|1983|end}}

| team2 = Dallas Mavericks

| highlights =

Consensus second-team All-American (1979)
2× First-team All-ACC (1978, 1979)
Second-team All-ACC (1977)
ACC Rookie of the Year (1976)

| stats_league = NBA

| stat1label = Points

| stat1value = 2,505 (9.7 ppg)

| stat2label = Rebounds

| stat2value = 652 (2.5 rpg)

| stat3label = Assists

| stat3value = 572 (2.2 apg)

}}

James Gerard Spanarkel (born June 28, 1957) is an American television analyst for College Basketball on CBS and Fox College Hoops. He is a former professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Dallas Mavericks. He played college basketball for Duke University, where he was an All-American.

Career

=High school=

Born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey, Spanarkel played at Hudson Catholic Regional High School,Hague, Jim. [https://hudsonreporter.com/2018/12/13/open-the-doors-of-the-njsiaa-hall/ "Open the doors of the NJSIAA Hall Jersey City legend Spanarkel heads three Hudson greats into the NJSIAA Hall of Fame"], The Hudson Reporter, December 13, 2018. Accessed October 20, 2019. "When Jim Spanarkel was playing a multitude of sports while growing up on Jersey City’s West Side, he never thought he was creating a legacy of greatness never before seen in Hudson Catholic Regional High School’s history." where he was a teammate of future NBA player Mike O'Koren.

=College and professional basketball=

File:Jim Spanarkel layup, Duke Chronicle 1979-02-26.jpg

Spanarkel was a First Team Acclaim All American, in addition the First Team All-ACC and the first 2000-point scorer in Duke Blue Devils history. He was named Duke's team MVP for his final three seasons, 1977, 1978, and 1979. Spanarkel was also team captain in his junior and senior years, and was announced NCAA's East Regional Most Outstanding Player in 1978. Duke finished as the national runner-up that year to Kentucky.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/nets/game_night_experience/broadcasterbios_011011.html|title=Nets:Broadcasters|website=NBA.com|access-date=November 7, 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061031111630/http://www.nba.com/nets/game_night_experience/broadcasterbios_011011.html|archive-date=October 31, 2006}} At Duke, Spanarkel was also a pitcher on the baseball team for two years.{{Cite web|url=http://dukemagazine.duke.edu/article/hoop-profiles-jim-spanarkel|title=Duke Magazine | Duke}} He graduated from university in 1979, and during the summer of 1980, he studied for and obtained a real estate broker's license.

The Philadelphia 76ers drafted Spanarkel with the 16th overall pick in the 1979 NBA draft on October 17, and he spent his first season as a rookie, the 1979–80 campaign, with the Sixers. He was then drafted by the Dallas Mavericks and played the following four seasons with them, leading the club in scoring for the 1980–81 season with a 14.4 ppg average.[https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DAL/1981.html 1980-81 Dallas Mavericks Roster and Stats]. Retrieved June 9, 2013. His NBA career ended in 1984, after a season during which a broken right wrist cost him three months on the bench.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/mavericks/2017/03/24/cbs-jim-spanarkel-looks-back-happily-on-days-with-original-mavs-even-the-time-a-tiger-was-brought-to-the-locker-room/|title=CBS' Jim Spanarkel looks back happily on days with original Mavs, even the time a tiger was brought to the locker room|date=2017-03-24|website=Dallas News|language=en|access-date=2019-12-17}}

=American broadcaster=

Spanarkel worked 30 years as Nets television analyst (currently on the YES Network), both with Ian Eagle courtside as a color commentator and more recently as a studio host during pre and post-game.{{Cite web |last=Income |first=Net |date=2020-11-13 |title=After 30 years, Jim Spanarkel's days as Nets analyst are over |url=https://www.netsdaily.com/2020/11/13/21563719/after-30-years-jim-spanarkels-days-as-nets-analyst-are-over |access-date=2022-03-28 |website=NetsDaily |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Wolfley |first1=Bob |title=CBS Sports' Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel run enduring two-man NCAA Tournament weave |url=https://archive.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/199245271.html |access-date=27 October 2022 |work=Journal Sentinel |date=March 20, 2013 |language=en}} Spanarkel was terminated by YES prior to the 2020–21 season.{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |first2= |last3= |first3= |last4= |first4= |date=2020-11-13 |title=YES dumping informative Jim Spanarkel shows sad state of TV sports |url=https://nypost.com/2020/11/12/yes-dumping-informative-jim-spanarkel-shows-sad-state-of-tv-sports/ |access-date=2022-03-28 |website=New York Post |language=en-US}}

Currently, he works CBS Sports' regular season and postseason coverage with Spero Dedes.

He joined CBS in early 1998 and worked first and second round tournament games with his Nets parter, Ian Eagle. He subsequently worked the next 17 tournaments with Eagle.

Starting with the 2015 tournament, Spanarkel moved up to a regional weekend crew, joining Verne Lundquist to work Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games for the first time. Lundquist retired from college basketball after the 2017 tournament, and Spanarkel was reunited with Eagle. In 2024 Eagle replaced Jim Nantz on the lead crew and Spanarkel was paired with Dedes, working First Four and first and second round games.

In addition to his work with CBS, he works primarily Big East Conference regular season games on FOX Sports.

He was previously a studio analyst for NBA TV. During his entire broadcasting career, he has provided basketball coverage on CBS Sports, ESPN, Fox Sports, and YES. In 2013, Spanarkel called the international telecasts of the 2013 NBA Finals alongside Eagle. He has also been chief commentator for the Travers Cups and various member guest tournaments at Upper Montclair.

Personal life

Spanarkel is married to Janet, and the couple has four children, James, Bridget, Stephanie, and Andrew.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/nba_tv/jim_spanarkel_bio.html|title=NBA.com NBA TV Talent:Jim Spanarkel|website=NBA.com|access-date=November 7, 2006}} He is currently a First Vice President and a certified financial planner at Merrill Lynch in New Jersey.

Spanarkel has been a resident of Rutherford, New Jersey.Tufaro, Greg; McGurk, Tom; Falk, Steven; Havsy, Jane; Newman, Josh; Stapleton, Art. [https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/2019/10/18/new-jersey-high-school-athletes-who-became-sports-broadcasters/3996897002/ From the field to the booth: These New Jersey athletes became sports broadcasters"], The Record (Bergen County), October 18, 2019. Accessed October 20, 2019. "Jim Spanarkel... Now living in Rutherford, he is a Brooklyn Nets announcer, and a college basketball announcer for SNY and CBS. He also works the NCAA Tournament."

Honors

In 1990, Jim Spanarkel was inducted into the Duke Sports Hall of Fame.{{cite web|url=http://www.dukeupdate.com/Records/duke_sports_hall_of_fame.htm|title=Duke Sports Hall of Fame|access-date=November 7, 2006}}
In 2001, Spanarkel was inducted into the Duke Circle of Honor.{{cite web|url=http://www.dukeupdate.com/Records/circle_of_honor.htm|title=Duke Circle of Honor|access-date=November 7, 2006}}
Jim Spanarkel was inducted into the UPI First Team All-America: 1979.{{cite web|url=http://www.dukeupdate.com/Records/allamerica_teams.htm|title=UPI First Team All-America|access-date=November 7, 2006}}
He was inducted second into the All-ACC Team.{{cite web|url=http://www.dukeupdate.com/Records/allacc_teams.htm|title=All ACC Team|access-date=November 7, 2006}}
MVP of All-ACC Tournament teams in 1978; 1979.{{cite web|url=http://www.dukeupdate.com/Records/allacc_tournament_teams.htm|title=MVP of ALL-ACC Tournament Teams|access-date=November 7, 2006}}
He was the ACC Freshman of the year in 1976 for Duke.{{cite web|url=http://www.dukeupdate.com/Records/acc_rookie_of_the_year.htm|title=ACC Rookie of the Year|access-date=November 7, 2006}}
He has the NCAA East Regional MOP: 1978.{{cite web|url=http://www.dukeupdate.com/Records/allncaa_regional_teams.htm|title=NCAA East Regional MOP|access-date=November 7, 2006}}
He was the All-NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.{{cite web|url=http://www.dukeupdate.com/Records/allncaa_tournament_teams.htm|title=All NCAA Tournament|access-date=November 7, 2006}}
Sparnakel was GTE Academic All-Americans consecutively in 1978 and 1979.{{cite web|url=http://www.dukeupdate.com/Records/gte_academic_allamericans.htm|title=GTE Academic All-Americans|access-date=November 7, 2006}}
James was team captain in 1978–1979.{{cite web|url=http://www.dukeupdate.com/Records/team_captains.htm|title=Duke Team Captains|access-date=November 7, 2006}}
Won the Swett Memorial Trophy (Duke MVP) three years in a row: 1977, 1978, and 1979.{{cite web|url=http://www.dukeupdate.com/Records/swett_award.htm|title=Swett Memorial Trophy|access-date=November 7, 2006}}
In 2014, won the New York Emmy Award for Best Sports Analyst for the YES Network broadcasts of Brooklyn Nets games.{{cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/media/watchdog-1.812020/breen-spanarkel-maher-win-emmys-1.7560583|title=Breen, Spanarkel, Maher win Emmys|access-date=April 4, 2014}}