Back when I had a cassette player in my car, I would pop in tapes (of King's broadcasts) during the drive to and from Oakland. They were a joy to listen to. He had incredible descriptive powers and was the ultimate wordsmith. He had the knack of finding the right word at the right moment. |
I came to know him better the last year or so, and I remember he'd be on the A's team bus and in the dugout, and someone would bring up a player, and he would go on and on about him. |
It was at spring training in Arizona and it was my third season and the Warriors were doing really lousy. I walked into the A's press box, and Bill walked up to me and introduced himself, and said he empathized with me. He remembered when the Warriors traded Wilt Chamberlain to Philadelphia in the 1960s, and he said to stay positive. |
We were producing a special on the Warriors, and I found some old tapes of his broadcasts and was listening to his style. When someone passes on, you always say that the person was unique. But I believe that there never be another Bill King. He was that special. |