From Sturgis to the Spurs: My Journey to NBA Broadcasting
April 18, 2025 |Jacob Tobey, Sturgis East Charter School Alum
I was lucky enough to be number 96 out of 100 new students accepted through the lottery to Sturgis East Charter Public School. Immediately after beginning my freshman year, I realized that I’d made the right decision. The International Baccalaureate program taught me the lesson of challenging myself from a young age. Students pushed each other in a productive way, and the staff supported us to pursue our passions. Sturgis is such a welcoming community.
I’ve wanted to be a broadcaster for the NBA since I was 10 years old – to get as close to the game as possible. My best friend and I started an online radio station, funded by Sturgis, and with the support of my history teacher, Jim Barrasso. Jim had previously worked at the Boston Herald and was my first broadcast partner. Together, we first announced a baseball game for the Sturgis team; probably 10 people were listening, but for me, it was the world series.
Looking back on my path to becoming the Television Play-By-Play Announcer for the San Antonio Spurs, I would tell current students, pursue everything. You don’t know what will pique your interest or what will change your life. At Sturgis, I wrote for the school newspaper, I learned public speaking by participating in theater, and studying Spanish led me to study abroad in college, an experience that showed me exploring the world is possible and changed my life forever.
Jim Barrasso and my high school Spanish teacher, Christina Alvarez, are, to this day, two of my biggest inspirations and some of the best people in my life. They’ve always believed in my potential, and that lit a fire under me. I treated broadcasting at Sturgis and then at Suffolk University like I was already a professional. After graduating from college, I launched my career as a weekend sports anchor and gained experience with play-by-play broadcasting as I continued to pursue a role with the NBA. I was busier than you can ever imagine, but at the end of my interview process with the San Antonio Spurs, I reached my dream.
My first month in San Antonio, Jim Barrasso flew out to visit me. I gave him a behind-the-scenes tour. Six months into my dream job, I continue to look forward to going to work every day and documenting the achievements of the best athletes in the world. The Spurs players have been nothing but welcoming to me since I arrived in San Antonio; like me, they have been pursuing this dream since childhood so we’re alike in that sense. It’s deeply rewarding to be part of the Spurs family and to work in the NBA!
