Assessing the Milwaukee Bucks’ new television broadcast team

The Milwaukee Bucks hired the first female play-by-play broadcaster for the 2021-22 season when legend Jim Paschke retired. While Lisa Byington has large shoes to fill, she has brought a fresh approach and perspective to each broadcast.

Jim Paschke was the play-by-play television broadcast for the Milwaukee Bucks for the last 35 years. He sailed off into the sunset into retirement after the Bucks won their first championship in 50 years. Enter Lisa Byington. The Bucks became the first team in sports history to hire a full-time female play-by-play broadcaster when they did this past offseason.

This was long overdue in the sports broadcasting world, as times have changed. Long gone are the days of the old-school, dinosaur male broadcasters.

Byington is fitting in quite nicely and finding her groove so far in her first season calling nightly Bucks games on Bally Sports Wisconsin. It’s not easy replacing a legend such as Paschke, but the right woman was hired for the job.

She is extremely knowledgeable, insightful, articulate, and intelligent while at the same time providing excellent commentary and analysis. Her neutral route and objective take is refreshing, compared to other play-by-play broadcasters throughout the league. Byington is fair and impartial and provides constructive criticism. This pertains to both Bucks players and coaches.

How has Lisa Byington fit alongside Milwaukee Bucks color commentator Marques Johnson?

Working with former Bucks great and fan-favorite Marques Johnson, who is the lead color commentator, their chemistry and synergy continue to develop and grow on a nightly basis.

Johnson is one of the best color-commentators in the business, if not the best in the NBA. He is such a tactical technician when it comes to the x’s and o’s of basketball, which no doubt helps build and increase the average fan’s knowledge.

The chemistry that both Johnson and Byington are developing is palpable when watching a Bucks broadcast. You can feel it, hear it and witness it on a game-by-game broadcast.

They both feed off each other in different ways. She is like a sponge when it comes to Johnson’s explanation of shot selection, execution of plays, and his expansive knowledge of the overall game in general.

It is quite evident that when Marques Johnson provides his analysis, input, and commentary, Byington soaks it all in and uses it to both broaden her knowledge and improve her craft. The same can be said for Stephen Bardo. He has filled in admirably for Johnson this season for a handful of broadcasts. There is very good chemistry between Byington and both Johnson and Bardo. This is not an easy thing to develop, which can take years for some broadcast partners.

She has a very good sense of humor as well, which is very important. There is a lot of laughter throughout all the broadcasts, whether it be laughing at Johnson’s or Bardo’s jokes.

The Milwaukee Bucks organization has opened the door and paved the way for future female broadcasters, not only in the NBA but hopefully in all pro sports leagues. There is no doubt that female broadcasters will be given even more opportunities in the future to broadcast games, and deservedly so.

Not only will Lisa Byington continue to grow and improve on a game-by-game broadcast basis, she will also continue to learn and develop her knowledge and expertise from a basketball perspective.

Additionally, her wit and amicable personality both help contribute to a very enjoyable viewing experience. There is no doubt this will continue for many years to come and will only get better.