Tom Tolbert

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Tom Tolbert

| image = Tom Tolbert - Arizona Wildcats.jpg

| width =

| caption = Tolbert, circa 1987

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 8

| weight_lb = 235

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|10|16}}

| birth_place = Long Beach, California, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| high_school = Artesia (Lakewood, California)

| college =

UC Irvine (1983–1985)
Cerritos (1985–1986)
Arizona (1986–1988)

| draft_year = 1988

| draft_round = 2

| draft_pick = 34

| draft_team = Charlotte Hornets

| career_start = 1988

| career_end = 1995

| career_number = 23, 3, 40, 39

| career_position = Power forward

| years1 = {{nbay|1988|start}}

| team1 = Charlotte Hornets

| years2 = 1988–1989

| team2 = Canarias

| years3 = {{nbay|1989|start}}–{{nbay|1991|end}}

| team3 = Golden State Warriors

| years4 = {{nbay|1992|full=y}}

| team4 = Orlando Magic

| years5 = {{nbay|1993|full=y}}

| team5 = Los Angeles Clippers

| years6 = {{nbay|1994|full=y}}

| team6 = Charlotte Hornets

| highlights =

| stats_league = NBA

| stat1label = Points

| stat1value = 2,030 (6.5 ppg)

| stat2label = Rebounds

| stat2value = 1,251 (4.0 rpg)

| stat3label = Assists

| stat3value = 285 (0.9 apg)

}}

Thomas Byron Tolbert Jr. (born October 16, 1965) is an American sports broadcaster and former professional basketball player. He played a total of seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).[https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/tolbeto01.html Tom Tolbert Statistics - Basketball-Reference.com] After retiring from basketball, Tolbert became a radio show co-host on KNBR in San Francisco and NBA commentator for the television networks NBC, ESPN, and ABC.

Early life

Tolbert graduated from Artesia High School in Lakewood, California in 1983.

College career

Following high school, he played college basketball at the University of California, Irvine (1983–1985), Cerritos College (1985–86), and the University of Arizona (1986–1988). While at Arizona, Tolbert played under coach Lute Olson, helping the team to an appearance in the 1988 Final Four. At Arizona, Tolbert was a teammate of five-time NBA champion and future Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

Professional career

In 1988, he was a second-round draft pick (9th pick, 34th overall) of the Charlotte Hornets.

Tolbert spent seven seasons playing for a number of NBA teams, including Charlotte (1988–89, 94–95), the Golden State Warriors (1989–92), the Orlando Magic (1992–93), and the Los Angeles Clippers (1993–94). He also played briefly for Canarias in the Spanish league. He retired following the 1994-95 season after his first son was born.

Broadcasting career

=Radio=

In 1996, Tolbert was hired by KNBR, a San Francisco-based local sports radio station, to co-host a radio talk show titled The Razor and Mr. T with longtime Bay Area sports radio host Ralph Barbieri. The show attracted high ratings in the Bay Area with male listeners aged 25 to 54.{{cite news |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=June 13, 2003 |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/06/13/SP274255.DTL |title=KNBR makes moves | first=Michelle | last=Smith}} The title of the show was changed to The Mr. T Show following the departure of Barbieri from KNBR in the summer of 2012. In 2014, with former San Francisco Chronicle columnist Ray Ratto becoming co-host, the show became Mr. T & Ratto. Beginning in 2019, Tolbert hosted the Tolbert, Krueger & Brooks Show.{{cite web | url=https://www.knbr.com/tolbertkruegerbrooks/ | title=Tolbert, Krueger & Brooks | KNBR | work=KNBR }}{{cite web|title=Tolbert & Lund|url=http://www.knbr.com/tolbert-lund/|website=KNBR-AM|access-date=September 6, 2017}} On February 25, 2022, Larry Kreuger and Rod Brooks were removed from the show.{{cite news | url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/KNBR-shakeup-Larry-Krueger-Rod-Brooks-removed-16948821.php | title=KNBR shakeup: Larry Krueger, Rod Brooks removed from afternoon show | newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle | date=February 26, 2022 | last1=Shea | first1=By John }}

On November 14, 2024, Tolbert was fired after 28 years with KNBR, as part of the station's latest round of layoffs.{{Cite web |last=Simon |first=Alex |date=2024-11-13 |title=KNBR axes host Tom Tolbert after 28 years, also lays off three others |url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/tom-tolbert-out-knbr-host-28-years-19913918.php |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=SFGATE |language=en}}

From December 2012 to the end of the 2016 NBA season, Tolbert joined the Golden State Warriors Radio Network as color commentator alongside play-by-play announcer Tim Roye.{{cite web|title=Tom Tolbert to Join Warriors Radio Broadcasts as Color Analyst|url=https://www.nba.com/warriors/news/tolbert_to_join_radio_broadcasts|publisher=Golden State Warriors|access-date=May 3, 2015|date=December 28, 2012}}

=Television=

In addition to his radio work in San Francisco, Tolbert was a color commentator for NBA telecasts on NBC. He was nominated for an Emmy in 2002 for his work as a commentator on NBC. He then worked for ESPN from 2002 to 2007.{{cite web|last=Okanes|first=Jonathan|title=Tolbert puzzled but shrugs off ESPN decision|url=http://www.contracostatimes.com/sports/ci_7350300|work=Contra Costa Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130503194850/http://www.contracostatimes.com/sports/ci_7350300|archive-date=May 3, 2013|date=November 2, 2007|url-status=live}} In 2003, Tolbert - along with Brad Nessler and Bill Walton - called the NBA Finals for ABC.{{cite web|title=Mr. T & Ratto|url=http://www.knbr.com/tom-tolbert/|publisher=KNBR|access-date=May 2, 2015}}

Personal life

Tolbert lives in Alameda, California with his wife and three children.

In 2017, he suffered an aortic aneurysm and underwent emergency heart surgery. He returned to his radio hosting duties after a week-long recovery.{{Cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/jenkins/article/Tom-Tolbert-on-life-after-heart-surgery-New-12468522.php|title = Tom Tolbert on life after heart surgery: New perspective, same old humor| newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date = January 3, 2018| last1=Jenkins | first1=Bruce }}