Hoops Capital's Stephens to call Olympic Games in Paris

Hoops Capital is set to have numerous representatives at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris with the Australian Boomers and Opals, as well as the New Zealand and South Sudanese men's teams.

Adding to that prestigious list will be the voice of the club, Eric Stephens - who was recently selected as a basketball caller for the XXXIII Olympiad, which will run from July 26 to August 11.

"On the surface, you'd think it was similar to the World Cup - there are a few fewer teams, but the event is similar," said Stephens.

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"But the minute you walk into the stadium and see the Olympic rings, you feel the gravity of it.

"The weight of it makes you want to step your game up to the next level even though you aren't competing.

"It's an honour to be considered for the Olympics, but an entirely different thing to be given the responsibility to do it.

"You're focused on getting all the calls right for the athletes and the countries they represent."

Originating from Portland, Oregon, Stephens - who has called more than 220 combined Kings and Flames fixtures - has worked all over the world, including pre-season and Summer League NBA games, the 2019 FIBA Men's World Cup in China (which included an interview with Kobe Bryant), the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the 2022 FIBA Women's World Cup in Sydney.

"I give a huge amount of credit to our Kings and Flames fans, who have supported me all these seasons," said Stephens, who hopes to call as many Boomers and Opals games as possible in France.

"I've spent season after season mastering my craft with them, trying new things and getting instant feedback.

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"Also, having huge crowds and successful seasons helps when you're sending video samples of court announcing at Kings and Flames games."

Between now and then, Stephens will continue to perfect his craft at NBL1 East games with the Norths Bears - before tipping off a blockbuster 2024-25 season with the Kings and Flames.

"I'm in the middle of NBL1 at Norths at the moment, but also busy getting my head around all the new players coming to the club - it's going to be a season to remember," he said.

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