Is Billy Packer’s death really due to kidney failure?

Billy Packer, a longtime basketball announcer who worked 34 Final Fours for NBC and CBS, passed away Thursday at age 82. his son said in a tweet.

“The Packer family would like to share some sad news,” tweeted his son Mark, who hosts a show on the ACC Network. “Our wonderful father, Billy, passed away. We take peace knowing he is in heaven with Barb. RIP Billy.”

Later that night, Mark told The Associated Press that his father had been in a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the past three weeks. He had been there for some health issues, but eventually he died of kidney failure.

Packer worked with many of the top play-by-play announcers of his time, such as Curt Gowdy, Dick Enberg, Brent Musburger, and Jim Nantz. In 1993, he won a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio, and Sports Analyst.

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In 1972, Packer began working as a radio and TV host in Raleigh, NC. In 1974, NBC gave him his big break on the national level, and he stayed there until 1981.

Packer was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. He also worked as an announcer in 1979, when Magic Johnson’s Michigan State team defeated Larry Bird’s Indiana State team in the championship game. He did this with Dick Enberg and Al McGuire.

With a 21.1 Nielsen rating and about 35.1 million viewers, that game is still the most watched basketball game ever. In the fall of 1981, when CBS bought the rights to the NCAA tournament, Packer took a job there. He was the chief analyst for the network until the 2008 Final Four. From 1975 to 2008, he called every NCAA men’s basketball tournament, even the Final Four.

“He really enjoyed doing the Final Fours,” Mark Packer told The Associated Press. “He timed it right. Everything in life is about timing. The ability to get involved in something that he would honestly watch anyway was a delight for him. And then college basketball just took off with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and that became, I think, the catalyst for college basketball fans to just go nuts with March Madness.

Sean McManus, the president of CBS Sports, said Packer was “synonymous with college basketball for more than three decades and set the standard of excellence as the voice of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.”

“He had a huge impact on the growth and popularity of the sport,” said McManus. “In true Billy fashion, he analyzed the game with his own unique style, perspective and opinions, but always kept the focus on the game. As passionate as he was about basketball, Billy was a family man at heart. He leaves a portion of his legacy at CBS Sports, through college basketball and, most importantly, as a beloved husband, father and grandfather. He will be greatly missed by all.”

Dick Vitale too tweeted his condolences–

So sad to hear of the passing of Billy Packer who had such a passion for college basketball. My 🙏🙏🙏 goes out to Billy’s son @MarkPacker & the entire Packer family. Always had a lot of RESPECT for Billy and his partners Dick Enberg & Al McGuire – they were super. May Billy RIP.

— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 27, 2023

“So sad to hear of the passing of Billy Packer, who had such a passion for college basketball. Mine [prayers] shout out to Billy’s son @MarkPacker and all the Packer family. Always had a lot of RESPECT for Billy and his partners Dick Enberg and Al McGuire – they were superb. May Billy RIP.”

Packer also wrote several books. In 1985, he wrote a book titled ‘Hoops: Confessions of a College Basketball Analyst’. This was one of his most famous works.

Before becoming a nationally known analyst, Packer played basketball with Wake Forest for three years and helped the Demon Deacons reach the Final Four in 1962.

Packer was known for his outspoken views and he sometimes did things to cause trouble. He said he was sorry for calling Allen Iverson a “tough monkey” in 1996 and said the comment had nothing to do with race.

He also said he was sorry and felt bad for saying that two female Duke students were not allowed to check press passes at a men’s basketball game in the year 2000.

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