The New Era of Celtics Basketball (And Why Everyone’s Googling the Announcer)
If you’ve watched a Boston Celtics game lately, you probably noticed a fresh voice. It’s snappy, high-energy, and surprisingly polished for someone who looks like he could still be in a grad school seminar. That’s because he almost is. When Mike Gorman, the legendary "voice" of the franchise for 43 years, decided to hang up the headset, the search for a successor felt like looking for a new Pope.
Enter Drew Carter.
The most common question hitting search bars right now is basically some variation of: How old is Drew Carter? People are genuinely shocked when they find out. In a league where play-by-play veterans usually have decades of gray hair and gravelly baritones, Carter is the outlier. He isn’t just young; he’s "wait, he graduated when?" young.
Drew Carter Celtics Age: Breaking Down the Numbers
Let's get the math out of the way. Drew Carter is currently 28 years old. He was born in 1997. To put that into context, he was barely four years old when the New England Patriots won their first Super Bowl. He wasn't even alive for the Larry Bird era. Heck, he was still in elementary school when the Big Three won the title in 2008.
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But honestly, the "drew carter celtics age" obsession is about more than just a birth year. It’s about the staggering speed of his ascent. Carter graduated from Syracuse University (the legendary cradle of broadcasters) in 2019. Most 2019 grads are still trying to figure out how to manage a 401(k), but Drew is already calling games for the defending NBA champions.
A Quick Timeline of the Rise
- 2019: Graduates from Syracuse’s Newhouse School.
- 2019-2021: Grinds in Birmingham, Alabama, as a sports anchor for CBS 42.
- 2021: Lands at ESPN, calling everything from lacrosse to college football.
- 2023: Named the successor to Mike Gorman for NBC Sports Boston.
- 2024-Present: Becomes the full-time play-by-play voice of the Boston Celtics.
Why His Age Actually Matters for the Broadcast
There’s a reason NBC Sports Boston went with someone in their late 20s. The NBA is changing. The way fans watch games is changing. If you’ve listened to a game with Drew and Brian Scalabrine, you know it’s... different. It’s faster.
Carter brings a "terminally online" energy that actually works. He’s the guy who voiced the Toy Story Funday Football game for ESPN. He understands memes, he knows what’s trending on NBA Twitter, and he isn't afraid to let his personality bleed through. While Gorman was the master of the "minimalist" approach—letting the game breathe—Carter is a technician of the modern era. He fills the gaps with deep-cut stats and a level of enthusiasm that only someone with 28-year-old knees can sustain for 82 games plus playoffs.
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It’s also about longevity. The Celtics didn't want a "bridge" announcer. They wanted someone who could potentially be the voice of the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown era for the next thirty years. If Drew stays in the chair as long as Gorman did, he’ll be calling Celtics games in the year 2067. That’s a wild thought.
Addressing the Confusion: Not the NFL Player
If you go searching for "Drew Carter" without the "Celtics" qualifier, you might get confused. There was a Drew Carter who played wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers and Oakland Raiders in the mid-2000s. That Drew Carter is in his early 40s.
Our Drew Carter—the one with the mic—never played in the NFL, though he did grow up a massive sports fan in Minnesota. He’s a "broadcasting prodigy" in the truest sense. Winning the Jim Nantz Award in 2019 (given to the nation's best collegiate sportscaster) was the first real sign that he was on a different trajectory than his peers.
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The "Maye to Gorman's Brady" Comparison
Reddit and local Boston forums love a good analogy. Lately, fans have been calling Drew the "Drake Maye to Mike Gorman’s Tom Brady." It’s a bit of a heavy burden to lay on a guy, but it fits. Replacing a GOAT is impossible. You don't try to be Mike Gorman; you just try to be the best version of yourself while respecting the chair.
Carter’s chemistry with "Scal" has been the most surprising part of this transition. Usually, it takes years for a broadcast duo to stop stepping on each other's toes. Drew’s age actually helps here; he treats Scalabrine like the veteran expert he is, while Scal brings out the more adventurous, "big brother" side of his own personality.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Broadcasters
If you're following Drew Carter's career or trying to emulate his path, here is the real-world takeaway from his "overnight" success:
- Diversification is Key: Carter didn't just do basketball. He called softball, lacrosse, and even animated NFL games. Being a "Swiss Army Knife" is how you get noticed by major networks like ESPN before you're 25.
- Lean Into Your Era: He doesn't try to sound like an announcer from the 1970s. He uses modern language and engages with the game as it exists today.
- The Syracuse Pipeline: If you’re serious about this industry, the Syracuse connection remains the most potent networking tool in sports media. Carter is the latest in a line that includes Bob Costas, Mike Tirico, and Ian Eagle.
- Prepare for the "Homer" Label: In local broadcasting, you have to be a bit of a fan. Carter has embraced the Boston culture quickly, which has helped him win over a notoriously "tough" fanbase that doesn't usually like outsiders.
Drew Carter’s age might be the first thing people notice, but his talent is why they keep the volume up. He's not just a "kid with a dream"—he's a seasoned pro who happened to get his big break while most of us were still figuring out our twenties. Expect to hear his voice for a very, very long time.