🎙️ How a JV Basketball Player Became the NBA's Youngest Broadcaster

Happy Wednesday,

Broadcasting is supposed to be a long game.

Most play-by-play careers start in small-town radio, crawl through minor league baseball, and—maybe, after 20 years—make their way to the pros. But at just 24, Carlo Jiménez is already calling NBA playoff games at the Intuit Dome.

So how’d he pull it off?

This week, Jake and I sat down with Carlo to find out. And while talent plays a role, the real answer is more interesting: Carlo has spent the last decade building a modern broadcast career from scratch, learning the craft, mastering distribution, and becoming the rare on-air talent who is also mastering another medium.

🎧 [Listen to our full episode with Carlo Jiménez]

5 Takeaways From Our Conversation With Carlo Jiménez

1. The path to the booth started on the bench.

Carlo didn’t grow up dreaming of calling games; he wanted to play in them. But after realizing he wasn’t going to make varsity, he pivoted. He joined his high school’s broadcast club, hustled his way into the gym every game night, and started calling play-by-play instead of running drills.

“I wasn’t going pro,” he told us, “but I could still be part of it.”

That early shift, seeing opportunity where most would’ve seen failure, set the tone for everything that followed. By 14, he was already calling games. By 24, he was calling the NBA.

2. Content helped him break through the gatekeepers.

Carlo didn’t get the Clippers job just because of his call sheets; he got it because people already knew who he was.

His social media content didn’t just showcase his talent:

• Instagram: 141,000 followers

• TikTok: 200,000 followers

• YouTube: 124,000 subscribers

It gave decision-makers a reason to check out his work in the first place. In an industry where most reels never get seen, discoverability is rocket fuel.

3. AI is coming for broadcasters, but connection still matters.

During our conversation, we talked about the future of play-by-play in the age of AI. Carlo doesn’t deny the tech is getting better:

“There will come a day when it can deliver a perfect call.” But what he’s betting on is human connection, the idea that fans will still crave voices they know, with personalities they trust.

That’s one reason he keeps showing up online, not just on air.

4. Content is career leverage (on and off the mic).

Calling games is the job. But being a Clipper means more than that. The team regularly taps Carlo to create TikToks, promote merch drops, and host fan events.

@carlothebroadcaster

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He's not just the “radio guy,” he’s a distribution channel. And while some traditionalists might bristle at that, Carlo sees it as future-proofing. “It’s a relationship business,” he told us. “You’ve got to be more than just a voice.”

5. He’s not rushing the next step—he’s refining the current one.

Carlo’s already won the Jim Nantz Award, called 80+ games a year at USC, and landed a pro gig faster than almost anyone his age. But he’s in no rush to jump to TV or chase national gigs.

“Be where your feet are,” he said, quoting one of his mentors. “The big games will come.” In a profession obsessed with what’s next, Carlo is all in on what’s now.

Why It Matters

Every industry is grappling with AI, distribution, and the slow death of the middle. Sports media is no different.

Carlo’s story is a case study in modern leverage, how mastering a craft, owning your platform, and staying relentlessly visible can still beat the odds. He’s not just a great broadcaster. He’s a brand, a voice, and a blueprint for the next generation of sports media talent.

🎧 [Listen to our full episode with Carlo Jiménez]

📩 And don’t forget: Bottom of the Ninth is back this Friday with the top three stories in sports and business from the week.

See you then,
Tyler & Jake