CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Stephanie Ready stands in the corner of Spectrum Center, home of the Hornets, speaking to her 6-year-old daughter, Ivy, and 8-year-old son, James, on a FaceTime call. She tells Ivy she "doesn't like the frowny face" and wants to end the call with a smile. It's no surprise coming from Ready, who greets everyone she sees at the arena with a smile and a burst of energy. She says goodbye to Ivy and James before consulting her notes for the game ahead at her usual sideline post — except this spot is a bit unusual now.
The start of the 2017-18 NBA season marked Ready's 14th year on Hornets telecasts, including a decade with Fox Sports Southeast. She had served as a game analyst the past two seasons, becoming the first full-time female broadcaster to hold the position in the NBA, but she was told this summer she would be heading back to the sideline after Fox Sports Southeast adjusted her role.
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Fox Sports Southeast senior vice president Jeff Genthner told Charlotte Business Journal the move came down to logistics, as putting Ready with the broadcast team of Eric Collins and Dell Curry left a gap in reporting when an injury occurred or other news broke during the game. Genthner also stressed that Ready will maintain her analyst title.
"Her role will be much more," Genthner said. "She knows the game, she's a former coach and she can get into Xs and Os."
Genthner's explanation makes some sense, but both Ready and Curry did take trips down to the floor last season for player interviews and reports. And if Fox Sports Southeast felt it was absolutely necessary to have someone on the sidelines at all times, there was also the option of bringing in a new reporter, though that comes with different logistical and financial questions.
Regardless of the reasoning, Hornets fans voiced their displeasure by using the hashtag #DontSidelineStephReady on social media. Ready became emotional when speaking about the support, calling it "overwhelming" and "humbling."
Sporting News sat down with Ready at Spectrum Center for a one-on-one interview covering her recent move, balancing being a mother and full-time broadcaster, what lies ahead for her professionally, and more. (Some portions of the interview below have been condensed for clarity.)
SPORTING NEWS: When did you first find out that your role was changing from last season?
STEPHANIE READY: This summer. Fox Sports called and said that they evaluated the broadcast, and they wanted to make some changes, and that was going to be the change. My role would change. I knew this summer.
SN: What was your initial reaction upon hearing that?
SR: I was shocked. I was shocked because I had heard nothing but good things.
SN: This wasn't anything you had anticipated ahead of time? This was the first you had heard about this?
SR: Yep.
SN: When that happened, what was your thought process going into the season?
SR: I didn't really have a ton of expectations going into the season because we were trying something new. People are saying it's like I'm going back to my old role, which in many ways I am, but they're trying to do something different in terms of — obviously I'm there to do interviews, for sure. I've already done a ton of them. But I'm also there to analyze the game. At home games, I have the Telestrator at my position. The tricky part has been — it's a live game. It's hard to get into the game. I didn't have any expectations because I didn't know how it was going to go.
SN: What would you like to be doing right now in terms of this Hornets broadcast?
SR: I loved my old role. I loved being an analyst because that's why I got in the business in the first place: to be an analyst. That's why, even when I was sideline reporter before, I was doing collegiate games in an analyst role. That was always my objective professionally, in broadcasting, was to be a game analyst. So, yes, I miss it. For sure. It's different. But I've been with this team since Day 1. I am invested. I'm loyal. I've been here when they were an expansion team, when they had the other name. I've seen the organization grow and prosper in this region. I've seen the fan base grow. The fans at home watched me go through two pregnancies. They're like part of my family. I'm here.
SN: In your conversations with Fox Sports, did you express to them that you would still like to be an analyst?
SR: I did.
SN: Did you have conversations with the broadcast team about the flow of the game or how their roles would change with you moving to the sideline?
SR: I did not.
SN: What would you like to do beyond this Hornets broadcast in the future?
SR: It's funny because the last two seasons when I was in the booth full time, I would get asked that question a lot, and I didn't have an answer because that was always my end game. That was my goal, to get there. Now that I'm not there anymore, I would love to get there. I want to be an analyst. That is what my aspirations are. I love hosting. Being back in this role — the change of role, I guess — I'm also hosting the show again. I missed that the last two seasons. So, long term, I don't really know exactly how to answer that question because, especially in broadcasting, there's so many twists and turns and so many different ways you could go. I would say 1A and 1B would be hosting a big show and being an analyst.
SN: Would that be something along the lines of an ESPN or TNT show? Would that appeal to you?
SR: Yes, of course it would. That's like the mecca of broadcasting, when you get to a national job. I've been here since Day 1, so I feel like this is my family, and I love it here in Charlotte and the Carolinas in general. But yes, obviously, professionally to get a national gig — especially if it's one that you want in the hosting role or in the analyst role in my case — I would love it.
SN: You mentioned the family aspect and being close to the Charlotte fans here. You could see that on social media in terms of the response when you went to the sideline, and beyond that, with Rachel Nichols touching on it with her show "The Jump." What did that reaction on a local and national level mean to you?
SR: It's been overwhelming. It really has been. It's humbling. Who knew I'd get choked up talking about it? It means a lot to me. It's nice to know that you're appreciated, that you're valued. And the fans, I feel like they're a part of my family, and I think they feel the same way about me. When you've been coming into someone's living room or someone's kitchen or someone's barber shop for the last 14 years, and you're your genuine, true self on the air, people get to know you. And it happens all the time in the street. People stop and want to talk and want to take pictures, and I don't mind that. But to answer your question, it was extremely humbling and amazing to see. It makes your heart warm.
SN: Was there any sort of expectation that there would be that kind of response?
SR: [Laughing] No. No, not at all. People obviously who watch it all the time and, like I said, for the past 14 years have been watching are going to notice. I figured maybe some people would say something to me when they see me in the grocery store. "Hey, what happened?" Maybe a few people on Twitter. I had no expectation that it would turn into what it did.
SN: What would you tell those people who have supported you?
SR: I love the Hornets fans. I love NBA fans. Anyone who is supporting and encouraging and kind to me, I will always appreciate that, no matter what the circumstance. And I've always been like that on Twitter. I've always been extremely positive and extremely grateful with my interactions with the fans. I certainly appreciate it. Who wouldn't appreciate someone telling them, "We appreciate you"? That's like the core of who we are as human beings, right?
SN: Taking a step back, you've been a part of the game in so many different ways, whether it's coaching (in the D-League or WNBA), playing (finishing as a top-10 scorer all time at Coppin State) or broadcasting. But what drew you to broadcasting?
SR: It kind of happened because when I was in the D-League coaching, my team folded, the Greenville Groove. A lot of those teams, they don't even exist anymore because they've totally changed the format and even the name. When I was in the G-League, which was then the D-League, we ended up winning the championship the first season of the league, and then there was an ownership change the second season, and then it ceased to exist after that. The timing was great for me in terms of coaching.
I just started looking into other ways I could stay close to the game. I started doing some local college games on the radio, inquiring through friends I had in the business, "What ways can I try to do something else that keeps me close to the game?" I started doing some work for ESPN, just college basketball analysis and sideline reporting. Not a whole package, but like a few games here and there. And I was like, "Hey, I kind of like this."
Then I went to coach the Mystics in the WNBA, as an assistant coach. And that was the summer that I got this job, the summer of the expansion year (2004, when the team was known as the Bobcats). I left the Mystics and came down here, and so I've been here ever since. It's been a great evolution for me because it's the perfect job. It's like I get to watch NBA basketball. I get to sit courtside. I get to develop all these great relationships with people. And I get to talk for a living. My dad still, to this day, laughs. He's like, "It's about time you're getting paid to run that mouth of yours." I've always been a talker, so it's been a good fit for me.
SN: You have a good depth of knowledge of the game, something that comes from playing and coaching. How did those experiences all shape who you are as a broadcaster?
SR: I think the coaching plays a larger part than the playing. I think playing, it obviously plays into it because you have the passion for the game and you grow up with the game. You have a certain baseline level of knowledge of the game. When you're a coach, your job is to break the game down. So it's not just, who is good and who is bad? It's how to put your players in the best position for each individual player. How do you put them in a position where they can find success? How do you exploit matchups? You're looking at the game a little bit differently. Deeper, I guess.
You break down film. You look at your opponent differently. You look at your own team differently. Now you're looking at, how do my top five players match up with their top five players? Who has the advantage in each of these matchups? How can I exploit that specific matchup? When they make a substitution, then who will have the advantage in that matchup? So you look at things a little differently.
That helps me a ton analyzing the game. Those are things the casual fan may or may not notice, but if they do notice it, they may not wonder why it's significant. They may not know. I've always taken pride in my role as an analyst in trying to educate the fans. I do not mean that in a condescending way at all because part of the thing I love about the fans here is that they are really smart, intelligent basketball fans. It's just the nuances, maybe just a little more enlightening. Maybe a little deeper explanation of why that happens.
It's also the casual fan who's not even an NBA fan, who may be the husband of an avid NBA fan, or the little sister of an avid NBA fan. They're like, OK, I'm sitting here, and I need to know what's going on. So I try and teach it at all different levels.
SN: We've seen how the game has changed with scouting and analytics exploding in the past few years. How has that changed your approach with adding that kind of information?
SR: I love numbers. I always have. I remember when I was first getting into TV, I was a volunteer/intern at a local affiliate, and I was helping their sports person. I was carrying the camera bag and helping him with taking notes. He would let me do stand-ups from time to time so I could add to my reel. I used to always throw in stats and what we now term as analytics, but back then there was no title for it. I always have enjoyed that. He used to always tell me, "People don't want to hear all that. You're gonna lose them. Their eyes are gonna glaze over." I took that into consideration, but I love it because now some of these things I enjoy talking about, in years past, I would have to go through and crunch all the numbers. I don't have to do that anymore because someone else has already done it. It's awesome.
SN: Is that balance a struggle at times when you consider it's a TV broadcast and you can't lose a portion of your viewers?
SR: Absolutely. And there's a fine line. It's just like — my kids are in school. They might be, for example, my daughter is in first grade, but some kids are reading at different levels. What they do is teach them from where they are. They take them from wherever they are on the reading spectrum and advance them. But they do that with every child. That's how I look at the broadcast. I want to teach them and progress them from wherever they are. If there's a fan who has 30 years of coaching experience, an NBA executive, (who) has been around the game his entire life, I want to help him, still, the same as a kid who is just being introduced to the game.
SN: With your kids at a young age, it's a difficult balance for everyone, but how do you find that personal life/professional life balance?
SR: It's elusive. I don't know if it exists. I've gotten a lot of pointers from my friends. One of my best friends is the CEO of her own company, and she's got two kids, too. She told me, "Stephanie, it's hard. Every parent deals with guilt if they're working and a present parent." But if you're a working parent and a present parent, you have guilt because you have to sometimes leave your family to do things. She's like, "The thing that's going to help you survive is to be 100 percent in wherever you are. If you're at work, you're 100 percent into work. If you're with your family, you're 100 percent into your kids." You can't have guilt either way. Because you can get them both ways. That's helped me a lot.
Also, I married a saint, so that's extremely helpful. Perry is the best husband, and partner, and cheerleader and field producer that anyone could ever have. And he's a terrific parent. It helps alleviate some of my stress because I know he is with them. And also, my kids haven't known anything other than this since they've been in the womb. They've been traveling at strange hours. I'll never forget my firstborn, my son, when I was pregnant with him, he used to respond to the sound of bouncing basketballs in my womb. Because he knew, "Oh, game time!" And I would feel him responding to that almost like Pavlov's dogs. Their entire lives, that's all they've ever known.
Obviously, you want to spend as much time as you can with your family, but we have to work. They get it. They enjoy the perks that come with it. They understand when mommy has to go to work, mommy has to go to work, including game prep. When we're home, and there's certain things I have to do like watch an NBA game, they're cool with that. In fact, they use that to their advantage sometimes to stay up late. They cuddle up next to me and watch it with me.
SN: Warriors are on at 10:30! We get to stay up tonight! So they understand the work aspect, but do they understand you're a figure on TV?
SR: They do sometimes. It's kind of late for them still. They might catch a little bit of it, but it's funny. They're so used to it, and I think a part of it is their generational thing with the devices and screens because I've been FaceTiming them and Skyping with them since they were babies. So seeing mommy on a screen, it's every day. That's how they've been raised. I have a feeling that it's gonna hit them at one point that their friends don't get to see their parents on TV when they're away from work like their mom, but so far, they'll just sit there and color, build Legos. If they hear something, they'll be like, "Is that mommy?" Then they're back to it. Doesn't faze them.
SN: Have they taken an interest in basketball? Already playing on the Fisher-Price hoop?
SR: They are. It's so much fun, too. We purposefully didn't push it on them because I wanted them to fall in love with it like I did, just naturally. We've got a hoop in the driveway like everyone does. They love playing. My son just joined his first real basketball team, so we'll see how that goes.
SN: With your family, your career and everything that has happened in the early season, ideally for you, where are you in your head on opening night next season and what are you doing?
SR: That's a really tricky question. I don't know. In an ideal world, if this were Utopia, I'd still be here with my second family. That's the way I feel when I'm here. The fans have a lot to do with that. I have no idea what's gonna happen, and it's not just because of this year. I'm that way every single year. I don't know what's gonna happen. I have, thankfully, been blessed with a saint of a husband, but we always look at things from a balanced, realistic perspective. Broadcasting, in particular sports broadcasting on the television side, is very subjective. You don't know when, or what's, going to happen. We approach every single season the same way. We're open-minded, and that's the way we go through it.