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Ralph Wesley steps down as Wizards PA announcer

There will be a transition of sorts in the 2019-20 NBA season for the next PA announcer, even if Mike Clapper, the Friday night announcer takes the job.

By Albert Lee
Ralph Wesley will no longer be the Wizards’ PA announcer after a tweet he published on Thursday.
Ralph Wesley Twitter, via Hoop District

If you go to Washington Wizards games at the arena, you will hear a voice say it’s “GAMEE-TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME!” before tipoff or “AAAAAAAAAAAAND ONE!!!!!” every time Bradley Beal drives to the basket for a made layup and gets fouled in the process.

Unfortunately, there will be some changes this fall as longtime Wizards PA announcer Ralph Wesley announced that he is stepping down, according to a Twitter message he wrote on Thursday.

Wesley was with Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s predecessor, Lincoln Holdings, where he was a backup PA announcer for the Washington Mystics and was their full-time PA announcer during the 2010 WNBA season. After that, he became the Wizards PA announcer from the 2010-11 NBA season through the 2018-19 season.

It’s unclear who the next Wizards PA announcer would be. But the leading candidate to me could be Mike Clapper, the Mystics PA announcer and Wizards PA announcer for Friday games. He’s notable for being the PA announcer when Paul Pierce called game and when John Wall made a game-winning three against the Celtics in Game 6 of their 2017 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals series.

Watching Wizards games this season will certainly be different without Steve Buckhantz behind the mic. And now, going to Wizards games this season won’t be the same without Wesley giving his trademark calls.

We’re sorry to see you go Ralph, and best of luck with your future endeavors!