Congrats to Bob!
Bob Rathbun, who has called almost three decades of Hawks basketball as local the play-by-play announcer, is set to be enshrined forever as a legend of the state of Georgia sports.
Rathbun was recently named as a member of the 69th class of inductees into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. He joins a number of athletes, media members, and others in the sports realm that have contributed to sporting excellence over the years.
Most people know him as half of the long-time broadcasting duo alongside Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins, a pairing that is entering its 16th season together in the upcoming season. Rathbun has also called Braves baseball, WNBA, collegiate, and high school sports among many other broadcasting pursuits over the years.
This from the release from Hawks PR via the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame:
Entering his 29th season as play-by-play announcer for the Atlanta Hawks on Bally Sports Southeast, veteran sportscaster Bob Rathbun is the longest-tenured play-by-play television announcer in the franchise’s history. Bob has covered collegiate sports for CBS, ABC, and ESPN, and the NBA for TNT and NBA TV. He also served as play-by-play announcer for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream for 10 seasons. In 2012, he was named the Georgia Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. Bob received a Distinguished Service Award from the ACC in 1994, and in 2019 was inducted into the Hampton Roads Sports Media Hall of Fame. Bob has earned 12 Regional Emmy Awards and eight Sportscaster of the Year honors. Rathbun is an alumnus of Catawba College and was inducted into their Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 and honored with their Distinguished Alumni Award in 1988.
For more information about the weekend of events, see the below from the same release:
The 69th Annual Induction Ceremony will be held the weekend of February 21st and 22nd, 2025 in Macon, Georgia. Activities will begin Friday, February 21st with the GSHF Golf Classic hosted at Brickyard Golf Club. Friday evening, the annual Jacket Ceremony will be held at the Hall. On Saturday at midday, the annual FanFest Autograph session will once again be held at the Hall. FanFest is open to the public and free of charge. Saturday evening, we close out the weekend with the 69th Annual Induction Ceremony held at historic Macon City Auditorium.
Please join me in congratulating Bob on this momentous occasion!