In Memory of Bill King OAKLAND A'S - RAIDERS - WARRIORS Hall of Fame!

[@kennedycormick2775]

Grew up listening to the greatest

[@kennedycormick2775]

In a small town in eastern Washington I loved listening to bill king on my transistor radio

[@terryamos2]

I remember as a kid between the ages of eight and 12 sneaking my transistor radio into my bed and listening to Bill King and his magical commentary of the Golden State Warriors the Oakland Raiders and later on with the Oakland Athletics… He was the best sports announcer I have I ever heard ! I even put on his radio commentary when I would watch the television games because I was addicted to the greatness of Bill King.

[@michaelmueller3462]

I've done public announcing for high school basketball for several years. Had a game tonight in Fresno. During the game, one of the home team players got fouled and the basket went it, I said over the PA "He's fouled...it counts!" It's my tribute to my favorite broadcaster of all time: Bill King. Done this since 1993. I used to listen to his Warrior games on radio in the 1970s and he was simply brilliant; the best. I love Bill King.

[@kittytice]

the best ever anywhere anytime any sport!

[@PresidentGas1]

True story .......... 1976 or so going to a Warrior game with a buddy ........... we're maybe 13 at the time. We listen to every game and marvel at the symphony of Bill King on the radio describing a basketball game. Without question in many ways we are bigger fans of King than the team itself. So our objective this date in 1976 attending a game live was to obtain an autograph from the Bill. During warm ups my friend and I make our way to a spot directly behind Bill and wait for our moment to pounce the man with an autograph request. My friend sees his chance, pushes his program in front of King and asks for a signature. King agrees and as my friend reaches over to grab his program .... he proceeds to spill what must have been a 64 oz. soda over Bill's entire voluminous stack of pre-game notes ....... simply drowning all of them. King erupts and starts screaming for security to get this kid out of there ........ needless to say .......... my chances of getting an autograph after that incident fell to about 0%

[@luiscerda2132]

I loved this show it would come on TV and in the mornings would call from time to time and record it to show it to my old man. Gary Radnich also another Bay Area sports legend.

[@davidhalcon5594]

No one will ever match Bill King. So lucky to grow up in the 70's and having all 3 teams that I loved be called by the master.

[@Cito-lx7fp]

There are enough announcers that are unique, I am just grateful that I was there to have Bill King in my ears all of those years. I remember seeing him leave an A's game in his junky Camaro. I know he could afford more, but what a humble guy, just like Ray Fosse who I got to meet while delivering chips for Frito Lay back in the day. We were lucky Bay Area Fans! If anyone says they have never heard of Bill King, remind them of all of those great historic calls from those incredible Raider games. Gary is something else BTW in my honest opinion. Take care.

[@ALastShotonTwoGoodHorses]

Bill was quoted saying a car isn’t worth more than $250.00. Haha!

[@brianthomas8125]

Most folks don't know it, but Bill spoke fluent Russian. I chanced to run into him in about 1985 at Santa Fe Bar & Grill in Berkley. I, near fluent, asked him, "Добрий вечер- как по-живаете?" He smiled and replied, Нормала- хорошо!" Definitely made both of us brighten up. I told him that I'd taken 2 years at San Jose State and he told me to "keep developing!" Super nice.

[@7racerusxcius]

i remember where i was and what i was doing when listening to this segment. after a gloomy winter season listening to Bill King during spring training games was like having a glimpse of happiness coz all was right in the world.

[@jpm4444]

The greatest radio announcer of all time. He should be in two HOF's. I'll never forget working from home this day. I was so excited he was on and the phone lines lit up. Bill died later in the week during a surgery. Everyone was shocked and he's an icon.

[@Darkthor9]

I wish Bill King had lived to see and broadcast this year's remarkable A's season. I'm so thankful that I was able to grow up listening to him.

[@mr.mendez9378]

The great, incomparable, unique and one of a kind, Bill King.

[@jamespm9194]

Gary and others have said he was the greatest sports radio announcer in sports history. No one could do all 3 sports on radio like Bill. Bill often listened to Gary's show. I was listening to this show live; I was working from home; I was Jim from Napa one of the regular emailers and Gary's producer was nice enough to give me an uncut copy of the interview that I still have. It's all over the internet now. Bill out of the blue called. He was going to have surgery and he died 2 weeks later of an embolism. Bills houseboat was near my office and I met him at a grocery store in Marin as he walked out one day. a very small guy, after I thanked him for all he had done he saw me with wine. I told him I was from Napa and we talked for 5 minutes on wine. They say never meet your hero's but I'm glad I met Bill. He actually thanked me for talking to him which was amazing. A man's man who lived life to the fullest and helped out a ton of people behind the scenes. He hated to be thanked for his help but he always doing something for someone.

[@LarryBarkerPBP100]

Recorded just 12 days before this sudden death on Oct. 18, 2005. He was the best there ever was. No question.

[@rayjr62]

He talked about Ken Macha being let go by the A's and that was in 2006.

[@ALastShotonTwoGoodHorses]

@@rayjr62 In one of the most unusual contract moves ever, Macha's pact expired on October 8, 2005 and negotiations broke down between the two sides trying to reach a deal; eventually it broke apart and Macha was out of a job. Six days later-apparently after talking with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but either not being offered the managerial position there or deciding not to take it-Macha reached a deal with the Athletics and became manager once again. - Wikipedia

[@neneshubby]

Man! Has it really been 7 years since Bill left us. Still miss him even though I love Ken Korach.

[@npsParks]

Positively the greatest ever!!

[@keithbramstedt4511]

As an East Bay kid growing up in the 70's I listened to Bill King do Raiders and Warriors games. I thought his rapid speaking style was especially well suited to basketball. He used to do radio and TV "simulcasts" for the Warriors.

[@ebblue81]

Radio Gold!! If you don't know you never will.Thanks for posting this

[@SlipKid1975]

Incredible recall he still had at that age. Bill was the best.

[@jpm4444]

I remember working from home that day and listening to this; it was Bill's last interview. it was awesome!

[@stewgotz1]

Bill ...we miss ya !!!!

[@BiggPoppa56]

Love this - thanks - Bill is missed by so many friends.

[@frankdenardo8684]

Oakland, Los Angeles Raiders. TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS, HOLY TOLEDO!!!!!!

[@Jenna-c1r]

Hall of famer!

[@pringlized]

I grew up on Bill.. He was the best.

[@vtomgardner]

Thank you for posting this!

[@NorCalBowler]

RIP Bill King

[@ebblue81]

The Best Period!!!!

[@jpm4444]

The greatest radio sports broadcaster of all time

[@taytay8283]

Bill king holy Toledo 😊😊😊

[@ThatBoyTLong]

RIP Bill King. HOLY TOLEDO

[@runawayuniverse]

Too bad that they didn't put Bill in the Hall of Fame while he was still alive.

[@fockewulf4409]

So ridiculous that the NfL Top 10 show put Myron freaking Cope ahead of the great Bill King.

[@rockaway2k]

Mason Boehm Now you KNOW that anybody who ever WORKS in the Steelers organization is called a legend by the NFL. I’ll bet their water boy has a wing in the HOF!! Meanwhile, the HOF APB for Jack Tatum, Cliff Branch, Lester Hayes, and Tom Flores REMAINS active...

[@JAWrightonline]

The question we waited for but never got: Bill, when and why did you start saying, "HOLY TOLEDO!!!" ?

[@PeterCryer]

Lived and grew up in bay area Eastham moved to Monterey County and debuted to hang out in Carmel where unused to work and he was a true king

[@depaola63]

Holy Toledo ! “ ⭐️💖🌈

[@devilsadvocacy]

All the great moments in Raider history that he called were that much more special because of him. The Waffle Pass, the Super Bowl victories, the triple-forward-fumble play, it's a long list

[@brettshepherd5240]

Id like to hear his call of the immaculate reception

[@rockaway2k]

Brett Shepherd It was unique, classic indeed. It was uploaded during a KNBR memorial tribute to Bill King.

[@dennissaunders5247]

R.I.P BILL(HOLY TOLEDO)KING. LIVING LEGEND MY ALL TIME FAVORITE. RAIDERS , WARRIORS AND A' S. PLEASE BRING MY ALL TIME RUNNER UP GREG PAPA AND TOM FLORES. NO DISRESPECT TO BRENT MUSBERGER HE IS NOT A TRUE RAIDER. RAIDERS RADIO BROADCAST JUST ISN'T THE SAME , IN FACT IT SUCKS. I WOULD ALWAYS TURN DOWN THE TELEVISION AND TURN ON THE RAIDERS RADIO BROADCAST THE GOAT EVEN WITH 10 SECOND DELAY. BILL KING AND GREG PAPA BABY , GONE BUT DEFINITELY NOT FORGOTTEN. RAIDER NATION BABY.

[@donwaltz2798]

Classic

[@BarryMcCocaner]

Greatest in Bay Area History??? I'd take it much further than that!

[@alandenson6649]

As would I. Greg Papa's great but every time I tune into a Raider's/Warriors/A's game I miss him!!!1

[@noringcircus]

He should be in two HOF, maybe three: baseball, football, and basketball.

[@PresidentGas1]

Papa is a shell of what Bill did with the Raiders.

[@alandenson6649]

There was only ONE Bill King; HOLY TOLEDO!!!!!!!

[@elvisionario64]

Bill King saying how much he hoped the A’s would hire Ron Washington as Mgr. which of course they didn’t and Washington went to the Rangers and 2 world series, while the A’s sank to new lows for about 5 years.

[@mikey7189]

5 years?....lol

[@thespirit2508]

HOLY TOLEDO! Check out Ken Korach's book about Bill!!

[@VolumedMusicMan]

Why did Davis fire him in 92?

[@culverfan]

VolumedMusicMan he wasn’t fired by Al. The raiders radio partner had new management and they wanted to bring in different talent and Al was pretty much powerless against that

[@frankdenardo8684]

@@culverfan Bill King was the man. He should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

[@devilsadvocacy]

Bob Bacon stated it correctly. I'll add that the real reason was money, like it almost always is

[@wiedep]

Washington has been to 2 World Series, how many has Bill Beane? So much for "genius"...

[@wiedep]

Homer Jones in New York spiked the ball first.

[@donwaltz2798]

Yeah instead we got bob geren ugh