Transcript

The transcript below has been lightly edited for readability and clarity. Click any starting timestamp to jump to that exact point in the YouTube video.

Podcast Introduction

[00:00] Don Costante:

Welcome to the Rundown Podcast hosted by Don Costante, a sports and event management expert with over 25 years experience. This unique podcast provides an opportunity to hear from some of the best professionals in the industry. You’ll get valuable insight and perspective on what it takes to deliver authentic experiences, activate brands, and most importantly, connect with audiences. All on the Rundown Podcast. Let’s get started.

Meet Ahmad Crump

[00:27] Don Costante:

In season one of this podcast, I interviewed Chris Miles, who is one of the best MCs I’ve ever worked with. That said, there have been a few other hosts who have impressed me over the years. Today, I thought it would be great to have a conversation with one of them and have him share his unique perspective about being a full-time MC in professional sports. Today’s guest is Ahmad Crump. Ahmad was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, where he had a passion for entertaining at a young age. In 2003, Ahmad joined the promotions team with the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the goal of being noticed and to utilize his passion for the team. His opportunity, it came in November of 2005, and he hasn’t looked back since. With over 16 years on the mic for the Cavs, Ahmad has established himself as one of the best MCs in the National Basketball Association. In this episode, Ahmad shares his experience and talks openly about his path to becoming an MC for the Cleveland Cavaliers. During our conversation, we touch on several topics, including communication between game director and MC, handling situations with multiple hosts, advice on becoming a successful MC, common mistakes, and much more. I’m ready to get started. Let’s meet Ahmad Crump.

[01:47] Don Costante:

Hi, Ahmad. Thanks for joining me on the rundown. Thanks for having me, Don. I really appreciate it. You know, Ahmad, for those listening, I got to tell everybody, I had the pleasure of working with you back in 2019 when you were kind enough to join my team, Costante Group, to assist us with the Major League Baseball’s All-Star Playball Park in Cleveland that year. During that event, I brought in three incredible hosts, you, Chris Miles, and Katarina Kountou. Do you remember Kat?

Working Together at MLB All-Star Play Ball Park

[02:10] Ahmad Crump:

Absolutely. From Sacramento. Yep.

[02:13] Don Costante:

That’s right. Now, we had a lot of fun that year, didn’t we?

[02:15] Ahmad Crump:

It was a great time. Absolutely a great time.

Ahmad Crump’s Career Path

[02:17] Don Costante:

What a great event. Now, I have been looking forward to chatting with you, Ahmad, for a long time. And I want to have this conversation to really get across to everybody, what exactly makes you so special on the mic. But before we get started, I want you to take a moment to share your career path to becoming the in-arena host for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

[02:34] Ahmad Crump:

Well, born and raised here in Cleveland, as a kid, I wanted to be a game show host as a kid. The whole life is absolutely true. I wanted to be like Bob Barker and Monty Hall back in those days, back when I was growing up. So I used to watch every single game show, and I would act like I was a game show around the house. Whatever those guys would do, I would actually do it. Then I would host talent shows. In high school, I would host talent shows in college. And I used to go to games all the time at Richfield Coliseum. And I used to come to games here. Formerly, it was called the Gund Arena, the Quicken Loans Arena, to Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse as it is now. Now we’re always sitting in the stands and I would say, how can I be on the floor? How can I be that guy on the floor or whatnot? I had to figure out a way to get in. So it was the summer of 2003. I’m sorry, it was the spring of 2003. And we had a WNBA team called the Cleveland Rockers. And they were looking for an interactive squad called the Rock Squad. And pretty much what that squad was, you know, we would go out on the court during timeouts, throw t-shirts, throw mini basketballs, just get the fans engaged, just get them fired up or whatnot.

[03:44] Ahmad Crump:

In May of 2003, the Cavaliers, they won the lottery and they drafted LeBron James in June of 2003. And the executives here thought it would be a great idea to come up with the Scream team, which is an interactive team that throws balls, t-shirts in the stands, get everybody fired up. And I just wanted to be a part of that atmosphere. You know, not knowing that in arena hosting was going to be something that I wanted to do, but, you know, I just wanted to be a part of that atmosphere. And, you know, I did that for two years. I did everything. I used to dress as a disco man from time to time. And I used to do all types of skits with our mascots or whatnot. Anything to be noticed, anything to be seen. And when Dan Gilbert, our current owner, bought the team in 2005, after that season was over, he put out something on the website. He wanted new everything, new dancers, new hosts, new PA announcers. He wanted new everything because it was his baby. It was his brand new team that he bought. And I saw that and that was the opportunity. I said, hey, this could be it for me.

[04:50] Don Costante:

That’s awesome. And that’s how you landed the opportunity to become the host for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

[04:55] Ahmad Crump:

Absolutely. That’s how I became host for the Cavs. And it was a bumpy road in the beginning, should I say, to become the host. But, yeah, I’m still standing here today as the Cavaliers and Arena host.

The Audition Process

[05:06] Don Costante:

Well, let’s talk about that for just a moment.

[05:08] Ahmad Crump:

Yeah.

[05:08] Don Costante:

Let’s give listeners an idea as to what the audition process was like. And what did you do to prepare yourself for the opportunity to audition?

[05:16] Ahmad Crump:

Well, I went online and I filled out, you know, the application. I came to the arena here and I tried out. And what the audition process was, they had a simulated basketball game between the employees here inside of Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. They played a game of basketball. And during each time out, we had to get out there and pretend like it was a real game. And we were doing a T-shirt toss or a pizza giveaway or whatnot. And it was down to four people. It was myself, two other guys and a young lady. Each host had one quarter to show what they were able to do. And they gave us a script when we arrived that day of the audition. And I’m like, oh, my God, this is a long script to try to memorize or whatnot. You know, so the girl that went before me, I was third. I was third on the list. And there was one guy who went and then the girl who went before me. She was just so good. She was so good. And I’m like, oh, my God, I can’t compete with this. So what not?

[06:16] Don Costante:

So you were psyched out before you even started.

[06:19] Ahmad Crump:

Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Because she went right before me. I used to see her on TV from time to time and commercials or whatnot. So in my mind, I was done already.

[06:28] Don Costante:

Wow.

[06:29] Ahmad Crump:

And I get out there. And so we had to pretty much improvise a time out that they do at the Cavaliers game. And, you know, my delivery just didn’t come off natural. It didn’t come off authentic because I was nervous and then I was intimidated already.

[06:45] Don Costante:

Right.

[06:45] Ahmad Crump:

So all those elements, all those factors just added up. And I only auditioned really in front of like three people. You know, the people who were playing basketball, they didn’t care pretty much. So it was just three of the higher execs who was just watching us or whatnot. So after that audition process, I totally, I know for a fact in my mind, I totally bombed. I bombed. And, you know, they called me in my office the next day at the law firm that I was working at. And they said, hey, you know, you know, we still want you to be around. But right now, we’re not going to put you on the microphone yet. We don’t think that you’re actually ready for it. And just as I thought, they gave the girl the job. And, you know, I wasn’t discouraged at all. But what that just told me was I just needed more training. So I used to go to the games or whatnot still, you know, working whatever I can do. And November 15, 2005, against the Denver Nuggets was the night that pretty much changed my entire life, pretty much. She called in sick. She called in sick at maybe the 3 o’clock hour. And they called me and they said that, hey, you think you can fill in to be the interview host because our host has called in sick or whatnot?

The Opportunity That Changed Everything

[07:56] Ahmad Crump:

And I’m like, oh, my God. So I’m like, this is the opportunity that I need it. You know, I can’t blow this. I’m like, okay, great. So I get over there and they gave me a script again the day of, you know.

[08:07] Don Costante:

Of course.

[08:07] Ahmad Crump:

Yeah, the day of. Absolutely. These scripts are much longer than the actual tryout script. So I just had to go on the fly. I had to read the script or whatnot. And I’m like, okay, shaking off nerves. And I’m fine. I think I’m good or whatever. And I get in front of 20,000 fans. And when that red light comes on, I froze.

[08:27] Don Costante:

Oh, wow.

[08:29] Ahmad Crump:

I froze down. I swear. I froze. And my boss at the time, my game director, should I say, Amanda Greco, I had an IFB in my ear. And she gave me a nice little pep talk.

[08:41] Don Costante:

Oh, man.

[08:42] Ahmad Crump:

I’m telling you. One of those nice little firm pep talks that I will never, ever forget. And from that point on, that was all I needed. And from that point on, I got my stuff together. All the nerves, everything just went out the window. And then they wanted me to come back that Saturday because she called in sick again.

[08:59] Don Costante:

Wow.

[08:59] Ahmad Crump:

And this game was against the Miami Heat. So they got D-Wade. We got Shaq at the time. And we got LeBron. You know, so all eyes are still watching. And I go out there on a Saturday night. And they said, hey, you know, they thought I did well on Saturday. They said, you know what? We’re going to pair you up with Nicole. That was her name. We’re going to pair you up. And you’re going to be host all season long.

[09:24] Don Costante:

Wow.

[09:24] Ahmad Crump:

You’re going to be host for her all season long. And I’m like, oh, my God.

[09:27] Don Costante:

Wow.

Becoming a Full-Time Cleveland Cavaliers Host

[09:27] Ahmad Crump:

And after that season, they said, hey, you should quit the law firm. And you should work here on a full-time basis.

[09:33] Don Costante:

Oh, man.

[09:34] Ahmad Crump:

And I said, what? But I thought it was a joke at first because I’m like, what am I going to do besides host games and whatnot? But they gave me a list of things that they wanted me to do as far as being a part of programs and going to the schools. Shout out to our community relations team, our marketing team. We do events as far as on Read to Achieve and Fit as a Pro and All-Star Kids and Head of the Class. And we do these programs, and we’ll go to the schools, and we’ll surprise kids and students with tickets to the games for their excellence that they show in the classroom. And we’ll do that for the teachers as well. So, you know, I’m a part of these programs, and I’m pretty much like a mouthpiece for the Cavs. So whenever something needs to be promoted or they wanted me out to talk about the Cavs or whatnot, they send me out there. And it’s an absolutely unbelievable journey to be a part of this organization and to be a host for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

[10:29] Don Costante:

No, I truly believe everything happens for a reason, right?

[10:32] Ahmad Crump:

Absolutely, for sure.

Lessons From Game Shows

[10:33] Don Costante:

So I want to go back. You mentioned you’re a game show junkie growing up.

[10:38] Ahmad Crump:

Yes, absolutely.

[10:39] Don Costante:

I know your friends on Saturday knew not to knock on your door until after 12 noon because those games just hadn’t finished yet, right?

[10:46] Ahmad Crump:

Yes, absolutely.

[10:47] Don Costante:

I have a two-part question for you, Ahmad.

[10:49] Ahmad Crump:

Okay.

[10:50] Don Costante:

First, what gravitated you towards those game shows? I mean, what was it really? And second, what did you learn from the game shows that you apply in your role with the Cavs?

[11:00] Ahmad Crump:

Well, I loved about the game show. For some reason, I just love seeing people happy. I love seeing people win money. That used to always excite me. And all the bells and the whistles and, you know, all of the buzzards and all that. Like, you know, it was just like game shows, something that just excites me. And I watch them now. I don’t watch them as much as I used to. I definitely still, you know, whenever I’m around the house and I got some free time, I would definitely watch them or whatever. What I took from game shows to what I do now is that I try to be authentic as possible. And that’s what I see from these game shows. I treat every fan who I come in contact with, I treat them like I’ve known them for years. I think those relationships are important. You’re not going to remember everybody’s name. You know, it’s just impossible. But if you just take five minutes out of your day or whatever, you just never know what type of hell someone is going through at all. So I take it exactly. So I just take it as a responsibility that, hey, when you come into the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and you watch a Cleveland Cavaliers game, if you come in contact with me, my job is just to make you forget whatever’s going on in the outside world.

[12:09] Ahmad Crump:

Just for the next couple hours, you get to watch some basketball, have some great food inside the arena and come into contact with some great people. And if I can make one person smile in the arena, you know, I feel like I’ve done my job.

[12:21] Don Costante:

That’s awesome. Now, let me ask you this. How did you grow as an emcee during the LeBron James years? Did you change your approach when he left the Cavs? And how did his departure affect the atmosphere?

The LeBron James Years and Every Fan, Every Game, Every Time

[12:33] Ahmad Crump:

Obviously, he brings the crowd. One of the greatest to ever play the game. And everybody wants to see this guy. So my approach was always the same when he was here and when he’s not here. My motto that I use is every fan, every game, every time.

[12:49] Don Costante:

Oh, that’s awesome.

[12:50] Ahmad Crump:

That’s what I use every single time. Like LeBron, definitely, he brought all the eyes and all the attention and all the glitz and all the glamour. And it was definitely a fun atmosphere to be a part of. It almost turned into a who’s who of here at the Cavs game. And you just never knew who would be at a Cavs game. Any type of NBA legend, any type of top celebrity or no matter what. You know, it was always somebody here. So when he left the first time, it was definitely a shock. We went down from 20,000 fans every single game who would get here early. Now we’re down to 10,000 fans, you know, or whatnot. And even when he left, I have to realize, I have to keep it in my head, that even if it’s a Monday night game, another NBA team who’s not too good, I have to keep in mind that not everybody has a chance to come to these games. So I look at every fan and say, hey, you know, if this is your first time or whatnot, I’m going to give you that treatment. Whoever comes into this building, I’m going to treat everybody the same. And my approach has really never changed that. No matter if it’s 20,000 fans or if it’s 200 fans, every fan deserves the same show.

[13:55] Don Costante:

Well, I love that. I love that you didn’t change despite whether LeBron was there or he wasn’t there.

[14:00] Ahmad Crump:

Absolutely.

[14:00] Don Costante:

That you’re delivering your business to the best of your ability to make it the greatest show for everybody that’s there. That’s awesome.

[14:07] Ahmad Crump:

Absolutely. Because the thing about it is that there’s only 32 teams, 32 in-arena host jobs in the NBA. And a lot of people, they want to be a host. You have to stay on top of your game. You got to stay fresh with different ideas. You can’t get ahead of yourself. You can’t get too big for your britches because, you know, just as it was given to you, it can be easy taken away and they can find somebody else.

[14:29] Don Costante:

No doubt.

[14:29] Ahmad Crump:

You got to stay humble with it at all times.

Preparing for a Cavaliers Game Day

[14:31] Don Costante:

So Adam Hines, your director of game presentation, does a great job producing the Cavs game days.

[14:36] Ahmad Crump:

Yes.

[14:37] Don Costante:

Describe the communication you have with Adam prior to each game and the steps that you take to prepare yourself for game days. Maybe take listeners through a typical game day.

[14:48] Ahmad Crump:

So a typical game day, so the day before or sometimes two days before, depending on what the schedule looks like, Adam will send out a production script. And we’ll do a production reading with everybody who’s in game ops. If it’s video, if it’s, you know, interactive teams or if it’s mascots, we all do a production reading together just to make sure that everybody is on the same page. But when it comes to the promotion aspect as far as the contest and the giveaways that we are doing, Hines, he’ll sit down with me and we’ll go through the script just to make sure that we got the right wording and everything is in place. Everything as far as the giveaways or where they’re supposed to be. Myself and Adam, he sits, well, now I’m in Loudville, which is the upper level, and he’s all the way on the floor. But in past seasons, I will be on the floor, but I’m like across the way from him. So we keep the ISD in our ear. And, you know, he’s always able to talk to me and I’m always able to talk to him as well through my microphone. And if I got an idea about something, you know, Hines here definitely, you know, if he thinks it makes sense in that moment, we’ll definitely run with it and vice versa.

[15:57] Ahmad Crump:

You know, I listen to him and he listens to me. And I definitely think Hines, you know, in the years that he’s been a director, he’s done a great job in leading this whole team.

[16:05] Don Costante:

No, that’s awesome. So, Ahmad, what’s your favorite part of game day?

Ahmad’s Favorite Part of Game Day

[16:08] Ahmad Crump:

My favorite part of game day, I would say, is the starting lineup introductions. I would say that after the visitant intros are done, the lights go off, we got the pyro going, we play a cool intro video. Our mascot, he’s behind me with his bells and whistles that he does. And when that happens, that’s when pretty much I lock in the game mode. I’m like, okay, this is showtime. And that’s definitely one of my favorite parts. Before this season, what we were doing was we would have somebody up in a catwalk way, way above, and they would drop down a mic like, you know, the old school boxing.

[16:45] Don Costante:

Oh, yeah, like a boxing. Yeah, that’s awesome.

[16:47] Ahmad Crump:

Yeah, so absolutely. So that’s what they would do. They would spotlight that mic. I would stand at a certain spot on the court because I do the starting lineup from the actual court. And that mic dropped right in my hand, right where I’m standing. It just brought a cool effect. And when it was time to go, Hines would be in my ear and he was like, all right, pyro, let’s hit it. And when I belt out Cleveland, when I belt that out, everybody in the arena knows it’s showtime and it’s game time.

[17:13] Don Costante:

To me, that’s so unusual. I know that more and more NBA teams are doing that, but I believe you guys were one of the first to do it. And I mean, I just can’t imagine the feeling that you’re having in that moment and creating that climatic moment for the fans, introducing the home squad. I mean, it’s just got to be amazing.

[17:33] Ahmad Crump:

It is absolutely unbelievable. I try to be myself because you have your old school fans who don’t care about all the bells and whistles. And then you have your new school fans and the younger fans. They’re like, oh, man, like this part of the game is really cool. So I try to leave every fan, I try to leave them with a memory that they’re like, wow, I got to get back to another Cavs game. I want to hear that moment again or whatnot, you know, and I’ve been blessed enough where the intros here in Cleveland have taken off for the past, what, maybe 10 or 11 seasons. Right now it’s called Bally Sports Ohio, but it used to be called Fox Sports Ohio. They will carry the intros each and every game. And so if you’re not at the game, you can sit at home, you can sit at home and you can watch these intros and you can hear all the passion that I have and see all the bells and whistles. And seeing some of the players react to it, too, that brought a lot of juice with it as well. It got me going as well. Yeah, I’ve been blessed and able to do that.

Influences on the Cavaliers Player Introductions

[18:31] Don Costante:

I’m curious if you were influenced in the direction you took with the Cavs intros. For example, the Chicago Bulls player intro is one that’s highly regarded for its dramatic approach. What are your thoughts about their introduction and did that impact you, if at all?

[18:47] Ahmad Crump:

The Chicago Bulls, you know, growing up, they made me cry a lot.

[18:53] Don Costante:

Yeah, I get it.

[18:54] Ahmad Crump:

They made me cry a lot with the shot and all that good stuff. But being in Game Ops and even before I got into Game Ops, their intros were definitely so iconic to me as a basketball fan growing up. And even now, even now in 2021, last year, I watched the documentary The Last Dance.

[19:15] Don Costante:

Yeah, right.

[19:15] Ahmad Crump:

And I believe after the first episode, they actually played that actual song. And it’s just like, whenever I hear that song, I instantly think of Chicago. But I would say the announcer that influenced me to really get into hosting or whatnot was John Mason, Up With The Pistons.

[19:33] Don Costante:

Oh, okay.

[19:34] Ahmad Crump:

Back when Detroit, when they had their run in 2003, 2004, 2005, when they were going to the finals, they used to put his intros on TV all the time. And the way that he used to call the names, and they pretty much gave him free reign to almost do whatever he wanted to do. It was really cool to see that. So when I saw that, I’m like, wow, I guess it is pretty cool to try to be an announcer. Yeah, so like I said, Chicago, hands down, definitely just an iconic intro for our lifetime to come. And I really enjoy John Mason’s as well, too, some of the Pistons.

[20:06] Don Costante:

Yeah, I just didn’t know if John or Chicago kind of influenced the way that you approached your introduction, the inflection in your voice and just the approach that you took to hype the crowd.

[20:16] Ahmad Crump:

I would have to say that with those guys, it was important for me to try to find my own niche. It was very important for me. So when I hear the Pistons intro and the whole Detroit basketball, and then you got to Chicago. And now I had to figure out a way to like, you know, try to stand out and not try to be like those guys.

Finding His Own Signature Style

[20:37] Don Costante:

Well, now you’re iconic. How do you start yours?

[20:39] Ahmad Crump:

Cleveland? Oh, Cleveland Cavaliers!

[20:42] Don Costante:

That’s awesome.

[20:42] Ahmad Crump:

When I’m walking down the street, or if I’m inside the arena, and I hear little kids, and I’ve been doing this for a while now. So when I see little kids, and they’re like, what, 17, 18 years old now, and they’ll walk past me, and they’ll say, Cavaliers! And I’m like, man, like, it’s so humbling. It really is cool.

[21:02] Don Costante:

Yeah, I can only imagine.

[21:04] Ahmad Crump:

Yeah.

The 2016 Cavaliers NBA Championship

[21:04] Don Costante:

Now, Ahmad, you’ve been with the team for a number of years now.

[21:07] Ahmad Crump:

Yeah.

[21:08] Don Costante:

What’s been your greatest memory or moment with the Cavs to date?

[21:12] Ahmad Crump:

My greatest memory with the Cavaliers, I would have to say, was definitely June 19, 2016, Cavaliers’ first NBA championship. We had a watch party here while the Cavaliers was on the road, and we only was able to allow 13,000 fans in the building at that time. So people trying to get in, it was impossible. We looked outside, and there were 100,000 people outside.

[21:38] Don Costante:

Wow.

[21:39] Ahmad Crump:

So we put giant screens all over our building, downtown in the back with the Fan Fest going on across the street. So the whole atmosphere downtown was just absolutely amazing just for that game. And when those final seconds went off.

[21:53] Don Costante:

With Golden State?

[21:54] Ahmad Crump:

Yes, it was against Golden State. And you talk about an unbelievable feeling. You know, it was just like, wow, like all the jokes that are about Cleveland.

[22:02] Don Costante:

Oh, yeah.

[22:02] Ahmad Crump:

Just for that day, when that final buzzer went off and all that pyro inside the arena went off, they told me to put on this championship shirt with the championship hat and promote it on camera. And when I put it on, I’m just like, oh, my God, I lost my mind. I absolutely lost it. I’m in the camera. I’m like, this is what it’s all about right here. You’re NBA champion, Cleveland Cavaliers. You know, and yeah, it was definitely one of the best moments I’ve ever been a part of. Yeah. I’ve been with the organization.

[22:32] Don Costante:

Oh, man, that’s great. I wish everybody had the chance to experience that type of moment. I’ve been fortunate. I know you’ve been fortunate to do it.

[22:40] Ahmad Crump:

Yes.

[22:41] Don Costante:

It’s something that you can explain it. You can talk about it. And until you live it, you just don’t realize what it truly means. All the hard work that goes into it. And it just pours out at that moment.

[22:51] Ahmad Crump:

Absolutely. For sure. Because a lot of people, all they see, I don’t take it as disrespect. But a lot of people, all they see is the games.

[22:59] Don Costante:

Right.

[22:59] Ahmad Crump:

All you see is the players.

[23:00] Don Costante:

Right.

[23:01] Ahmad Crump:

And I totally get that. But the work that goes behind the scenes, like game ops, with the building crew, with guest service employees, with the suite workers, with, you know, the concession workers, team effort, you know, the work behind the scenes to help make that product even better on the floor or on the field or on the ice. It was an unbelievable feeling.

[23:21] Don Costante:

Man.

[23:22] Ahmad Crump:

Complete team effort.

Protecting His Voice

[23:23] Don Costante:

Now, being an emcee can be really hard on one’s voice.

[23:27] Ahmad Crump:

Yes.

[23:27] Don Costante:

What measures do you take to ensure that your voice is ready to go every game?

[23:33] Ahmad Crump:

Every day. So I keep cough drops in my desk at all times. And I drink a lot of tea. A lot of tea. A lot of tea.

[23:40] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[23:41] Ahmad Crump:

I don’t put any sugar in it. I warm up some green tea. And I feel any type of scratchiness come on. That’s the first thing I’ll grab. I’ll put a couple of cough drops in that tea and I’ll sip on that, you know, for the next hour or whatnot.

[23:53] Don Costante:

And that does you? You’re good?

[23:54] Ahmad Crump:

Absolutely. For sure.

[23:56] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[23:56] Ahmad Crump:

And if also, if I know that, you know, my voice is trying to leave before a game or whatnot, I try not to talk a lot.

[24:03] Don Costante:

Oh.

[24:04] Ahmad Crump:

You know, I try not to talk a lot. There’s been times where my voice has left. There’s been a time. There’s a couple of times. What’s the guy from Little Rascal Froggy? His voice. I’ve had one of those moments where I’m just like, what am I doing or whatnot? But for the majority of the time, I’ve been blessed with having been sick or have lost my voice or all like that. There’s a record that I’m proud of here. Boy, I’m not even sure it’s a record. They haven’t even made it official. They were going to try to make it official last year. But due to COVID, our season stopped. But since November 15, 2005, I have never missed a home game. A home game here inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. I’ve never missed a game. The two kids I’ve had, they were born on nine Cavs games, you know, which is crazy. But a regular season game or a playoff game, that’s been at home. I’ve never missed it.

[25:00] Don Costante:

You know, people just don’t realize. I mean, in this particular role, I mean, you’re a hype person. You’re out there. And so that voice, it’s so easy to lose it. I asked Chris Miles that question. For those listening, I interviewed Chris in season number one. But I asked him about his voice and how he keeps his. And he said, listen, Don, I’ve learned to use my diaphragm and less my voice. And it saved him. As you know, he’s got that very deep voice. But in addition to a lot of throat lozenges like you, that’s how he keeps his voice.

Unforeseen and Embarrassing Moments on the Mic

[25:26] Ahmad Crump:

Right.

[25:27] Don Costante:

Now, we talked about you’ve been on the mic for a long time. Now, anybody who’s been on a mic, as long as you have, has experienced some unforeseen challenges or embarrassing moments. Can you share one that stands out to you?

[25:40] Ahmad Crump:

Oh, man. Absolutely. Definitely a fun one for me. I believe this was 2011, 2012, maybe something like that. I think it was 2011. So they give me a starting lineup before each and every game. I memorized those five players. And usually, I don’t need that paper or whatnot. So they gave me the five starters. And right before I announced my first player, the team decided to make an actual change. Well, I wasn’t aware of that change. I wasn’t aware of that change. I was on the floor. Like, everybody else was behind me. And for some reason, my IFB was not in my ear at that time. I don’t know what happened. So I was announcing Mo Williams as the starting guard. And he was just a late scratch. So when I’m announcing Mo Williams, Daniel Boobie Gibson walks down, you know, and he acts like that he is being Mo Williams. And I get off the floor. My boss was like, you didn’t get the message? I’m like, message? Well, what are you talking about? He was like, Mo Williams isn’t starting. I was like, well, I was told that he was starting. So a lot of people, they did get a kick out of it. I watched the broadcast back. And our announcers at the time, they were like, well, he meant to say Daniel Boobie Gibson.

[26:55] Ahmad Crump:

You know, and then another embarrassing moment for me, I would have to say was our PA announcer at the time. This is 2008, 2009. And he had to use the restrooms really bad. He had to use the restrooms really bad.

[27:11] Don Costante:

That happens.

[27:12] Ahmad Crump:

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So my director at the time, Amanda, she told me in my ear, hey, I need you to come over to the scorer’s table. You have to be the PA announcer just for a couple minutes while he’s out at the restroom. So I said, okay, fine. And I’ve done PA before, you know, in high school. I did a couple PA games in college. I’m like, hey, it’s nothing to it. So it’s 10 players on the floor. You know, five for the Cavs. I know everybody. Five for the Indiana Pacers. I’ll never forget it. And I’m praying to God that it’s one person on the Indiana Pacers does not score because he had one of those long names that I was a prim. You know, and the Cavaliers, we were up 30. So one of our guys scored, and I just said, three. And everybody was like, wow, Ahmad’s got this. So the guy from Indiana, his name, I can see it now, is Sarunas Yesikavichis.

[28:05] Ahmad Crump:

Sarunas Yesikavichis. But when he scored, I had no clue how to pronounce his name. So I said, oh, my God, maybe should I just leave it blank? Should I not even say nothing? Or should I just give a stab at it or whatever? And mistake by me, I gave a stab at it.

[28:20] Don Costante:

Oh, gosh.

[28:21] Ahmad Crump:

And I butchered his name completely. And the crowd laughed. And the crowd laughed. We were up, like I said, we were up 30. And the crowd laughed. And he came by the table, and he let me know about it.

[28:34] Don Costante:

Oh, my gosh.

[28:35] Ahmad Crump:

He let me know about it. He was upset. The Indiana team was upset. Their TV announcers, they were upset. I mean, they all let me know about it.

[28:45] Don Costante:

Oh, my God.

[28:47] Ahmad Crump:

So then me and their PR guy who travels with him, me and him are having words in front of these fans. And I’m like, you know, I said I apologize. But he wouldn’t accept the apology. And, you know, things almost went left. It almost went left or whatnot. But my boss at the time, she grabbed me. She sat me down. She was like, come on, calm down. Stop it. Stop it or whatever. That was definitely, you know, and I was nervous or whatnot. Not that I embarrassed the organization, but I got an email from our general manager at the time. And he said that, hey, don’t worry about it. He spurned us for a deal anyway.

[29:21] Don Costante:

That’s cool. That’s cool.

[29:23] Ahmad Crump:

Yeah.

[29:23] Don Costante:

I would be terrified.

[29:25] Ahmad Crump:

Oh, my God.

[29:26] Don Costante:

Yeah.

[29:26] Ahmad Crump:

It was unbelievable.

[29:28] Don Costante:

All right. So when you’re in Arena and you’re on mic, how much of your in Arena performance is improv versus scripted? And how do you keep your delivery authentic?

Improv Versus Scripted Delivery

[29:39] Ahmad Crump:

So I would say my improv with the Cavs, I would say 90% improv and the rest is scripted. So me personally, I feel that if you’re just reading from a script, you almost sound like a robot.

[29:52] Don Costante:

Right.

[29:52] Ahmad Crump:

You know, you almost sound like a robot and you’re just saying things just to be saying it and you don’t believe in it or whatnot. Well, whereas with me, I’ll read the script. And I was always told when I first started off, as long as you hit those bullet points, you can jazz it up however you want. You know, as long as you hit those bullet points that need to be put out, those important details that fans need to hear. So I’ll read the script a couple of times and I’ll try to memorize it as much as I can, but I’ll memorize those bullet points. And when I do, I’ll just jazz it up how I’m able to do it. And the reason why I can sound authentic is because I believe in the product. I believe in what I’m talking about. So if I’m talking about the Cavs, I’m passionate about that. I’ll definitely, you know, come across like, yeah, this is what I do. If I’m talking about a product or if I’m talking about a promotion, I’ll try to jazz it up to make it fun as possible for myself and all the fans that are watching as well. One thing that I have learned in this business, the fans can definitely tell if you aren’t being fake. You know, they can definitely tell if you’re not being genuine at all.

[30:53] Ahmad Crump:

So every time I step on that floor, no matter if it’s for a two second timeout or if it’s for a minute timeout, I try to put my all in it like it’s my last time stepping on the floor. I think that’s one of the reasons why I’ve been able to be successful and I’ve been able to last as long as I have in this business.

[31:11] Don Costante:

I think that’s great. The best advice, what you just said, take what’s important out of the script and do it your own way.

[31:17] Ahmad Crump:

Absolutely.

[31:18] Don Costante:

That comes across much more authentic. I try to educate young talent when they’re coming up, specifically those in broadcasting who are used to reading a teleprompter. When you get into this type of in-stadium roles, it’s all improv for the most part. And so you need to be able to do it your own way, but deliver on the points like you said.

[31:37] Ahmad Crump:

Yeah, absolutely. It’s just like you got to be able to think quick. You got to be witty. You got to be able to go on a fly. You got to realize that it’s live entertainment. Things are going to happen.

[31:46] Don Costante:

Oh, yeah.

[31:46] Ahmad Crump:

Things are going to happen. And as long as you can accept that, that, you know, things are going to happen, everything is not going to be perfect. You can only control what you can control.

Working With Multiple Hosts

[31:55] Don Costante:

As I mentioned earlier, you were one of three hosts working the main stage at the 2019 MLB All-Star Playball Park in Cleveland.

[32:03] Ahmad Crump:

Yes.

[32:04] Don Costante:

Talk about how you manage a situation when you’re one of multiple hosts being utilized simultaneously. What preparations do you go through to ensure success for everyone involved?

[32:15] Ahmad Crump:

Well, number one, I think you got to be humble. You got to be humble, number one, because you have to realize that there’s great talent everywhere. So when I was blessed enough to receive the offer from you to host with Chris Miles and Kat, I know they both have different styles. So get a chance to see them work. You know, you don’t want to step on anybody’s toes. So you take everybody’s strong points, you know, Chris’ strong points, Kat’s strong points, and my strong points. You bring that all together and you leave Eagle out because everybody is trying to achieve the same goal. You’re trying to put on, we were trying to put on the best show possible for the fans that came to the Playball Park stage. So I definitely think you read over scripts, and that’s what the three of us did. Before we go on stage, you will always do a production reading with us. But then there was a couple times where Chris, Kat, and myself, we would get together and we would look at the script and say, hey, you’re going to do this? Or Chris would say, hey, Ahmad, I’m going to sit this one out. You go in and you fill in here or whatever, you know. So I think that the hosts can come together, and you just got to realize that you’re blessed to be there.

[33:19] Ahmad Crump:

You know, just don’t come off cocky. Everybody is good. Everybody is good. If you get invited to do something, like you, you’re not going to bring anybody who’s mediocre to represent your company or whatnot.

[33:30] Don Costante:

No.

[33:31] Ahmad Crump:

So exactly. So it’s like everybody there, whether you are a host or if you were a production manager, stage manager, you were there for a reason. So you bring those talents together and try to put out the best show as possible.

[33:42] Don Costante:

I love that. I mean, each one of you alone are a headliner for your own arenas or your own events. And so bringing three of you together, listening to you guys, have those conversations and pinpoint the strengths of each other. And like you said, put the ego aside. It was brilliant. I mean, the chemistry was amazing, and obviously we had so much fun doing it.

[34:02] Ahmad Crump:

Absolutely.

Advice for Those Who Direct MCs

[34:03] Don Costante:

What advice? This is actually an interesting question because there’s a lot of people out there who oversee MCs. So what advice do you have for those who oversee and or direct MCs?

[34:15] Ahmad Crump:

The advice I would say is let them be themselves. You know, don’t try to turn them into somebody that they are not. You put them there for a reason. You believe in their talent. You know their strengths. You know their weaknesses. I would say don’t put them in situations to fail. I don’t think it’s too many out there that’s like that. But I would just say just make sure that no matter what, you are putting your host, your MC, always in the best position to succeed when they walk on the floor.

[34:45] Don Costante:

Great advice. In your opinion, what separates a good MC from one that’s extraordinary?

What Separates a Good MC From an Extraordinary MC

[34:51] Ahmad Crump:

I would say a good MC is someone pretty much who goes by the book. They read the script and they walk off the floor or off the field and whatnot. And that’s pretty much it. They’re there to do the job as far as just reading the scripts and making sure the information is delivered across. Where I think as an extraordinary MC, they’re the ones that goes the extra mile. They’re the ones who like to put on a show while they’re actually delivering the message. They’re the ones who like to, you know, interact with the fans and leave that lasting impression. And that’s not just about reading the material and having to say with the fans or whatnot. You know, so kind of have that whole package. And hosting is good, but you’ve got to leave people with an experience. And if you can do that, you can definitely survive in this business for sure.

[35:39] Don Costante:

You’re not afraid to step in there and dance a little bit.

[35:41] Ahmad Crump:

Right. Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

[35:44] Don Costante:

That’s awesome. Now, we talked about advice for people who oversee MCs. What advice do you have for those wanting to become an MC? Any specific resources you would recommend to somebody to help in developing in this area?

Advice for Aspiring MCs

[35:57] Ahmad Crump:

I would say if you are interested in becoming an MC, number one, you’ve got to be able to learn how to follow before you can leave. You know, you can’t just jump into this. I know a lot of people, they just want to say, hey, I can do this. And this is me or whatnot. You know, you’ve got to watch other people and see how they actually handle it, what they actually do. You have to be yourself. You have to be yourself. There’s a lot of great MCs. There’s a lot of great personalities that you see on TV. If you try to emulate that style, you will crash and burn in a heartbeat. You know, you have to be your authentic self and let your personality shine through. I would say start volunteering to do local community events around your city. It’s like a carnival. If it’s like, you know, any type of contest, it’s a radio contest. Try to get in the radio as far as volunteering your time. If you really want to do this, sometimes you’re going to have to sacrifice.

[36:53] Don Costante:

Oh, sure.

[36:53] Ahmad Crump:

As far as, you know, you got to sacrifice time. Sometimes you got to sacrifice money. It’ll pay out in the end. Just to get that experience or whatnot, you definitely have to get out there in the community and just let people see who you are and know who you are.

[37:07] Don Costante:

No substitute for experience.

[37:09] Ahmad Crump:

Absolutely not.

The Sacrifices of Being an In-Arena Host

[37:10] Don Costante:

Now, you just mentioned sacrifice. So for those who are interested in pursuing a career like yours, talk about the sacrifices you’ve had to make to be an in-arena host.

[37:21] Ahmad Crump:

The sacrifices that I’ve had to make to be an in-arena host, it’s pretty much time. It’s time with your family, you know.

[37:28] Don Costante:

Sure.

[37:28] Ahmad Crump:

I’m one of the few in-arena hosts that is full-time in the NBA. There is a couple. So I work in the office every single day. When I’m not hosting games, I’m out in the community. I’m out at the schools. We’re doing school shows for kids. As far as doing reading shows, we’re doing anti-bullying shows. We’re doing fit as a pro shows to let people know how to stay physically fit and eat right. So you definitely have to be able to sacrifice time. There’s going to be a time for family and friends. And I think one of the things that’s been able to help me, I have an awesome support team. You know, my wife, my kids, they know that when I have a Cavs game or when I have a Cavs event or whatever, it’s nothing personal, but I got to take care of business.

[38:12] Don Costante:

Sure.

[38:12] Ahmad Crump:

And they’ve been supporting me all these years while I’m actually doing this. If you really want to do this and if you really want to make an impact, the sacrifice of time with the family, that’s the only thing that was really a sacrifice for me. But at the end of the day, it’s something that I love to do and I wouldn’t trade it. I wouldn’t trade the experiences.

Common Mistakes MCs Make

[38:30] Don Costante:

Now, of all the MCs in any industry that you’ve seen struggle on a mic, what are the underlining mistakes that you’ve noticed them making?

[38:39] Ahmad Crump:

I would say that they’re trying to be someone else. They’re just not trying to be their authentic self. And that’s going to come across as not being authentic. It’s going to come across as being fake or whatnot. For some reason, this is just me. You know, I understand if it’s a long script of bullet points, I understand the note card thing. I understand that. But for some reason, I don’t like to see MCs on the floor in front of the fans with note cards.

[39:08] Don Costante:

I agree.

[39:09] Ahmad Crump:

Yeah, I don’t like it. Now, if you want to have a cheat sheet or even if you do have a note card, okay, fine. But just use it only when necessary. Other than that, you keep your eyes on that camera. And when the camera is off you, if you have to read a couple names, okay, fine. Because I always do that. But the majority of the time, you got to definitely know your material or know what you’re actually talking about. And that’s why they give you the script usually like the day before. Just to give you time to prepare and write a couple cheat sheet notes down or whatnot. So those are a few pet peeves of mine. And another pet peeve of mine that I used to do all the time, but now I’m out of it. And I hate to see MCs hold the mic where their hand is covering the microphone. You start to sound muffled, you know. And I didn’t understand that at first because when I first started in 2005, I used to hold the microphone at the top of the mic all the time. And I would be talking in my hand instead of talking into the microphone. A lot of times I review a lot of game footage to see what I did right, to see what I did wrong, to see how I can fix that and make sure it won’t happen for the next game.

[40:19] Ahmad Crump:

And, you know, I would look at some early footage and I would hear how muffled I would sound. And I’m like, oh my God, I would sound horrible. So I had to work myself in the habit where, hey, you hold the microphone at the bottom, you know, at the bottom where you’re supposed to hold it. And you can still get the delivery of same across, same effect, same authenticity. You know, you can still get everything across without holding a mic like that. So, yeah, those are just a couple pet peeves of mine that I have.

Final Thoughts From Ahmad Crump

[40:44] Don Costante:

So, Ahmad, we’ve come to the final question of the day. For all those listening to today’s discussion, what are your final thoughts?

[40:52] Ahmad Crump:

Final thoughts is I got into the entertainment aspect of basketball in 2003. And I can say that this is definitely one of the best decisions that I ever made in my life. A lot of times I hear a lot of people complaining that they have to get up and they have to go to work or, you know, they have to do this or whatnot. And I can honestly say that I became full-time here in 2006. And this has been a blessing. You know, I get a chance to do what I absolutely love to do. Growing up and wanting to be a game show host and putting that into some type of fruition here where I’m hosting in front of 20,000 fans each and every night. And it’s been one hell of a ride. And I’m looking for another set of 16, 17, 18 years actually doing this. I’m absolutely blessed. And I’m proud to be a part of the NBA family.

[41:43] Don Costante:

Well, Ahmad, I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to share your thoughts and experience with all of us. I have definitely learned a bunch. Thanks, Ahmad. It’s been great talking with you.

[41:53] Ahmad Crump:

Hey, thanks for the opportunity, Don. Thank you for putting this on. And thank everybody out there for listening. I really appreciate you guys.

Don Costante’s Key Takeaways

[42:03] Don Costante:

Ahmad is certainly one of the best MCs in the business. And today’s discussion just shows what makes him special. His passion and love for entertaining is evident in the way he approaches his craft and, most importantly, the way he delivers content on the mic. The common denominator that I’ve found in all great hosts like Ahmad is that they’re fearless, that they’re willing to take the mic and deliver content their way with the goal of entertaining. Forget about using note cards. Know what you’re going to say. Know what you’re going to say. Be organic and passionate in your delivery. And in the end, you’ll come across to those listening as authentic. Now, we covered a lot of information in our conversation today. Here are some points that stood out to me. First, when I asked Ahmad about what he learned from game shows, he talked about the importance of being authentic and treating every fan he meets like he’s known them for years. What did Ahmad say? Building relationships with fans is so important. And I couldn’t agree more. Next, as we discussed LeBron James’ impact on his approach to the game day atmosphere, I really appreciated what Ahmad said. With or without LeBron James, his approach with the fans is always the same.

[43:14] Don Costante:

I especially liked his motto. Every fan, every game, every time. Simply put, every fan that shows up to a game is going to get the same treatment because every fan deserves the same show. Now, when I asked Ahmad about how other team introductions might have influenced the way he introed the Cavs, his reply really illustrated to me why he’s one of the best. Sure, the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Piston team introductions are certainly iconic, but it was important to Ahmad to find his own niche. That he wanted to stand out and not try to be like other team announcers. Another point that stood out to me was when I asked him about how he keeps his delivery authentic, his response was very clear. To be authentic, you need to believe in what you’re talking about and talk about the team with passion. When talking about a product or promotion, jazz it up. Make it fun and entertaining for the fans. I loved what Ahmad said. He said every time he steps on the floor, he puts his heart and soul into his performance as if it’s the last time he’s stepping on the court. And what about the advice that he gave to those who oversee MCs? Let your hosts be themselves. Don’t try to turn them into someone they’re not.

[44:23] Don Costante:

You put them there for a reason, so trust in their ability. Don’t put them in situations to fail. Always put them in a position to succeed. And finally, for those who aspire to become an MC for a professional team, his advice was right on target. You must be yourself. If you try to emulate other hosts’ style, you’re going to crash and burn in a heartbeat. You must be your authentic self and let your personality shine through. Well, I could go on, but those were just a few highlights from our discussion that resonated with me. As always, I hope you found the information covered beneficial. I want to thank Ahmad again for being on the podcast and for sharing his thoughts and best practices with all of us. Well, that wraps up this episode of The Rundown. As always, I encourage you to reach out to me and share your thoughts and or questions and send them to [[EMAIL:[email protected]Email The Rundown]]. That’s [[EMAIL:[email protected]Email The Rundown]]. Also, I would really appreciate it if you would subscribe and share this podcast and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. And until the next time, I’m Don Costante.

[45:34] Don Costante:

Thank you.