Former Cavaliers Broadcaster Joe Tait Dies at Age 83

Longtime Cleveland sports broadcaster Joe Tait died Wednesday at the age of 83, per Tom Withers of the Associated Press.

Tait called Cavs games as the radio play-by-play commentator in five different decades, starting in 1970 when the team began NBA play. His retirement in 2011 capped his broadcasting career.

The Cavs released a statement on his death. It read in part:

"A dedicated husband and father—generous with his talent and spirit—Joe received every major sports broadcasting award there is over the course of his career in Northeast Ohio. And like some of the most legendary Cavaliers he chronicled, Joe joined them with his own banner hanging in the rafters of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse."

He also called games for the Cleveland MLB team from 1973 to 1987, starting on radio before moving to television in 1980. He called a pair of no-hitters as well as Len Barker's perfect game in 1981 against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Tyler Carey of WKYC compiled some of Tait's best baseball and basketball calls, and you can find them here.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018, offered his condolences after hearing the news:

Per Withers, Tait was inducted into the media wing of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. He also served three years in the United States Army and called games for the WNBA's Cleveland Rockers, the WHA's Cleveland Crusaders and University of Mount Union football.