Tom Tolbert

Thomas Byron Tolbert Jr. (born October 16, 1965) is an American sports broadcaster and former professional basketball player. He played a total of seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After retiring from basketball, Tolbert became a radio show co-host on KNBR in San Francisco and NBA commentator for the television networks NBC, ABC and NBA on ESPN.

Early life Tolbert graduated from Artesia High School in Lakewood, California in 1983.

College career Following high school, he played college basketball at the University of California, Irvine (1983–1985), Cerritos College (1985–86), and the University of Arizona (1986–1988). While at Arizona, Tolbert played under coach Lute Olson, helping the team to an appearance in the 1988 Final Four. At Arizona, Tolbert was a teammate of five-time NBA champion and future Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

Professional career In 1988, he was a second-round draft pick (9th pick, 34th overall) of the Charlotte Hornets. The title of the show was changed to The Mr. T Show following the departure of Barbieri from KNBR in the summer of 2012. In 2014, with former San Francisco Chronicle columnist Ray Ratto becoming co-host, the show became Mr. T & Ratto. On February 25, 2022, Larry Kreuger and Rod Brooks were removed from the show.

On November 14, 2024, Tolbert was fired after 28 years with KNBR, as part of the station's latest round of layoffs.

From December 2012 to the end of the 2016 NBA season, Tolbert joined the Golden State Warriors Radio Network as color commentator alongside play-by-play announcer Tim Roye.

Television In addition to his radio work in San Francisco, Tolbert was a color commentator for NBA telecasts on NBC. He was nominated for an Emmy in 2002 for his work as a commentator on NBC. He then worked for ESPN from 2002 to 2007. In 2003, Tolbert - along with Brad Nessler and Bill Walton - called the NBA Finals for ABC.

Personal life Tolbert lives in Alameda, California with his wife and three children.

Career statistics

NBA Source

Regular season

Playoffs