Terry Stembridge

Terry Stembridge was the first announcer for a professional basketball team in Texas and is the original “Voice of the San Antonio Spurs”. After graduating from the University of Texas, he began his broadcast career in his hometown, doing play-by-play for Kilgore High School games and for the national champion Junior College team.

In 1967, Terry accepted a job as announcer for the Dallas Chaparrals, a member of the newly formed American Basketball Association, whose games were broadcast on KLRD. He was one of only two announcers who traveled with their team in the early days of the league.

Over the next 12 years, Terry would announce 1252 Chapparal and Spurs games, including pre-season exhibition games, broadcast on KLRD in Dallas, then on KKYX and later WOAI in San Antonio … without missing a single broadcast.

In 1973, as the Chapparals were on the brink of folding, Terry became the catalyst for the team’s move to San Antonio. Terry called well-known businessman Red McCombs and asked Red if he would be interested in investing in the franchise. Red said he might.  McCombs led a group of investors to lease then buy the club, renamed the San Antonio Spurs.

Terry moved to San Antonio to lead the Spurs broadcast team, providing play-by-play coverage that helped to bring the game to a new fan base. His final Spurs radio broadcast was the 7th game of the 1979 NBA Eastern Conference championship on WOAI.

Terry retired from broadcasting and entered the oil business in Kilgore. His closing phrase at each Spurs broadcast, “There will be another night,” caught on with his listeners, but his legacy in the Alamo City remains as legendary sports announcer Gary DeLaune once said … “if Terry hadn’t called Red McCombs, there would not be a Spurs team in San Antonio today”.

 

 

 

 

SAN ANTONIO RADIO HALL OF FAME

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