No one in the NBA captures big moments quite like the Lakers’ Spanish broadcasters, Adrian Garcia Marquez and Francisco Pinto. For the second time in three years, the duo has captured the NBA’s “Best Live Call” award, this time for their narration of Nick Young’s game-winning 3-pointer in San Antonio on Dec. 12.
“First and foremost, and I know I speak for my hermano, Francisco Pinto — who's a pro's pro and a pleasure to work with — when I say we want to thank our fellow NBA broadcasters and colleagues for deeming us worthy of the award,” Garcia Marquez said. “It is the standard of excellence that they have set, that we strive to reach every game. So this means a lot to us.
“I also want to send a special thank you to one of the members of our broadcast team, my Master Jedi, Stu Lantz, who I have learned so much from over these first three years. All of the guidance, wisdom and knowledge he has shared means a lot. It has served me well on our broadcasts.
“I also want to thank our producer, Claudio Korob; our director,
Art Izquierdo; and our patron, Tim Harris. Their supreme work and support is vital, we couldn't have done it without them. Gracias a todos."
As Young swished the triple with 7.4 seconds left in overtime, Garica Marquez, the play-by-play announcer, broke out one of his many player nicknames and added a culinary twist on the broadcast.
“¡Tres!” he exclaimed, “¡Rico Swaggy!”
“Tacos de tripa en San Antonio con mucha crema,” or “Tripe tacos in San Antonio with lots of cream.”
Pinto, the analyst, then gave a quick breakdown of the play, detailing how Young hit the shot from deep while covered by Manu Ginobili.
Garcia Marquez and Pinto approach broadcasts with contrasting, yet complementing, styles. This blend of energy and thoughtfulness is amplified by the pair’s off-court friendship.
“Adrian is unique,” Pinto said. “He has an intensity and an energy that are almost impossible to match, so I'm there to provide balance. He tells you what happens and I'll tell you why.
Besides, we are close friends, not just coworkers, and I think that translates into what we do and how we sound on the air.”
This is the second time that the pair has earned the “Best Live Call” prize, which includes English-language competition. In 2013, Garcia Marquez and Pinto won the category by calling Kobe Bryant’s overtime-forcing 3-pointer against Toronto.
Despite still being in the infancy of Time Warner Cable Deportes, the tandem has elevated the network in its three-year history by providing Lakers fans with award-winning broadcasts.
“It's a big privilege to do what we do,” Pinto said. “At the same time we enjoy our work tremendously, and our job is to find ways to translate that joy into our telecast from the amazing positions we get to be at. How? By always be prepared, by respecting the game and by always giving our best to all of the Lakers fans out there and whoever else maybe watching the game with us.
“This award means a lot to us because is given by our NBA colleagues, and all of them have been in this rodeo much longer than we have. We respect them a great deal for that. It truly is a grand honor.”