Toronto Raptors’ co-chaplain, announcer Herbie Kuhn on God, fans, and identity
As the Toronto Raptors celebrate this season as their 25th year in the NBA, celebrating right along with them is their Number 1 fan who has been with them since Day 1, public address announcer Herbie Kuhn.
Having survived every minute of the rollercoaster ride that ended with the Raptors winning their first NBA championship in 2019, Herbie says he never doubted that the team was going to survive the bad years and eventually thrive, because the Raptors had something no other NBA team had: a united, country-wide support on the homefront.
“I will tell you, we have basketball fans who are consistent and solid,” he says. “We had attendance numbers during the struggling years that other teams would have begged for, even those with winning records! We have the most amazing fans in the world. It’s a privilege to be part of this franchise.”
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Herbie is fan first, announcer second. The Raptors have brought out all his emotions over the years, but especially so throughout last June.
“I have been reduced to tears many times, whether due to happiness or frustration,” he comments. “When game six of the finals was being played in Oakland, we had a whole bunch of people over to watch on TV. It got really loud at my house when the final buzzer finally sounded and we knew we were champions. Even though all day I really had had an unusual quiet confidence we were going to win this thing, I just stayed in my chair, buried my head in my hands and sobbed.
“It was such an overwhelming sense of release and relief in that moment.”
Besides caring about the players’ performances, Herbie also cares about the welfare of their souls. He is one of the Raptors’ co-chaplains who take turns offering a short sermon at a chapel service open to both teams right before Toronto home games. The players know they can come to him any time for prayer or counseling.
“I try to give them perspective on their true identity,” he says. “I tell them that regardless of the result out on the court, it doesn’t change who they are on the inside – a child of God.”
Herbie takes his role of chaplain seriously, and knows that he must set an example daily of what being a Christian looks like.
“I must confess that there are times in some of my day-to-day interactions that I don’t always feel like acting in a Christ-like way,” he says. “Just like in any workplace, sometimes the way things unfold makes you want to go with a knee-jerk reaction. You can’t do that! Instead, you realize what’s hanging in the balance – how many people are analyzing your every move. What you say and what you do have to be in alignment with each other. I can only do that with Jesus guiding me.”
Herbie finds it rewarding to be able to throw a lifeline to the athletes whose careers can often be a mix of wins, losses and injuries. He tells them that when circumstances make you want to give up, you can turn to God.
“God offers stability and assurance of His love when the world isn’t treating you right,” he says. “There are no words in any language to really say what turning to Him does for you. It’s supernatural! God says He will give you the desires of your heart, but you have to first seek Him to find out what those desires should be.”
Herbie’s desire growing up was to be a professional athlete, however reality wasn’t in sync with his dreams.
“But this is what happens when you surrender to God,” he grins. “When I became a Christian, I surrendered the talents I had to God and He directed me. I committed both my announcing and chaplaincy to Him, and now I have four championship rings! That’s more than most players will ever have! I was the announcer for Humber College’s basketball team when they became CCAA National Champions in 2001, and I also announced for the Toronto Argonauts and received rings with them after the 2012 and 2017 Grey Cups. Now I have an NBA Championship ring.”
Herbie took over at the end of our interview, as someone who has conducted interviews of his own is entitled to do.
“Most importantly, make sure you write this: ‘Our fans are the best! OUR FANS ARE THE BEST!”
