Going Through the Hoops! Exclusive Q & A with Toronto Raptors broadcasters Jak Armstrong & Matt Devlin
An exclusive HORIZON Q & A with Toronto Raptors broadcasters Jack Armstrong & Matt Devlin
By Lorie Steiner
Jack Armstrong is the colour commentator for the Toronto Raptors, well-known for his catchphrases, like “Get that garbage outta here!” and “Hellooo!” Matt Devlin is the Raptors play-by-play announcer, praised for his smooth, engaging style. Together, this dynamic duo elevates the overall fan experience during Raptors games to a first-class level of fabulous.
I had the pleasure of chatting separately with Jack and Matt about life on and off the court and it’s surprising how in sync they are, even when apart!
H: Toronto has a fantastic fan base and you two help stoke the passion. From your front row experience, what makes the Raptors’ fan culture unique?
Jack: It’s the most diverse, multi-cultural fan base in the league and I think it reflects just how Canada is growing as a country. Our fans are super enthusiastic, passionate and incredibly well-educated. They’re really tuned into what they’re watching and have a great understanding of what’s going on in front of them. We have a unique situation here where we’re a national brand and the other 29 teams in the NBA are more of a regional brand. You’re not only rooting for the Toronto Raptors, you’re rooting for Canada’s basketball team. It’s been a joy for me to see the whole thing grow.
Matt: I truly believe that this is the best fan base in the NBA, not only because it is Toronto and the GTA and Ontario but because it’s the entire country. There is a genuine love affair from the fan base for the Toronto Raptors. I meet Raptor fans throughout the season wherever I travel and there’s a bond that makes it truly special. At home games, I’ll shout out a city – I get all kinds of requests, even on social media – and that allows for a connection. It’s a lot of fun and I think the fans enjoy it.
H: How long have you been broadcasting with the Raptors? Do you work from a script?
Jack: I started in the 1998/99 season – Vince Carter’s rookie year was my first year. The game is still the game but there’s a lot more 3-point shooting now and stylistically it’s faster and very entertaining. My job as an analyst is to tell you why and how the game is shaping up in a certain way – and have fun doing it. I’m a storyteller.
The best thing about this job is it’s not scripted. We get one take. I like the edge of live TV and the pressure of 3-2-1 and the red light comes on. The juices get flowing when I’m doing my first live bit on TSN SPORTSCENTRE, and then the pregame show, and then it’s the game and 3-2-1 ‘boom’ you’re on. Matt and I can’t control what’s going to happen, all we can do is be prepared and react.
Matt: We moved up here as a family in 2008 from Charlotte, NC. I came on a work permit and we became permanent residents, and then ultimately Canadian citizens in 2019. The process had started two years prior and it just so happened that it coincided with the Raptors’ championship run. So that was a lot of fun studying for the citizenship test while the Raptors were playing the Milwaukee Bucks. I would sit around with the television crew and they were like, “We want to try our hand at this, too.” So we had fun… it ended up being a group study.
Jack and I don’t rehearse anything before we go on the air because you have this whole bucket of knowledge prepared and at any given moment during the game you’re going to bring some of that out. We want to be spontaneous in that moment. We don’t discuss it beforehand, we’ve just read everything, we’ve spoken to coaches and scouts and our sources around the league and we have all the stats. During the course of the game, you may only use one or two of those nuggets but the game will dictate which way you go.
H: What advice do you have for young people interested in sports – and for their parents?
Matt: Let the kids drive the conversation and you’re there to support their interests. Not only for sports but in life. My sons grew up in a household where sports played a big role and every year we would sit down and ask, what sports do you want to play, what level do you want to play? Because there’s a commitment there, and certainly in a household where I travel a ton, it was a tremendous dedication and sacrifice from my wife, Erin, to get them to all those practices. The minivan got many kilometres on it and the boys are appreciative of the time spent driving them around to all the tournaments and games throughout their sports journey.
Jack: When I was seven years old growing up in Brooklyn and dribbling a basketball eight blocks to the schoolyard with my right hand, then, after playing a few hours with my buddies, dribbling back to my apartment building with my left hand, I fell in love with that orange ball. Now, I can’t thank that orange ball enough. When I speak to kids, I tell them, maybe for you that’s art, music, dance, social work, medicine, law, acting – whatever it may be, find that thing in your life where you love doing what you’re doing. I feel blessed that I’ve had two different careers – as a coach and now as a broadcaster – and it all came from my love affair as a seven year old.
H: Jack, what do you most enjoy about working with “Matty D”?
Jack: Matt is such an elite broadcaster and I’m so lucky to work with him. He is prepared, he’s professional, he’s sound and he really knows the game. I’ve known a lot of play-by-play guys in my life and he’s at the top of the list of those that could stand with a coach, a player, an executive and hold their own in terms of basketball philosophy, understanding what he’s seeing, the why, the how.
Working as a team, we tag each other. When he’s trying to set me up, I’m trying to set him up. We listen to each other. He’s so good at putting me in a position where the viewer gets the best perspective. He knows where the game’s going and there have been times he’s pulled me out of a situation where I put my foot in my mouth. Sometimes he’s fallen off his chair laughing at how stupid I am.
Most importantly, he’s a dear friend. We’ve worked together for 16 years and we’re at that level where we know each other’s families, the ins and outs of our days and I think that comes out. There’s a chemistry, an ability to play off each other, and as a broadcaster you know it. With really great broadcast teams there’s a synergy, a connection, and I think a lot of that comes from the fact that you have a relationship beyond the game. Matt and I have that.
H: Matt, what do you enjoy most about working with Jack?
Matt: Jack is a true pro and a great friend. He’s always prepared and knows the game. He’s got an unbelievable, welcoming personality and that shows up on the air when we work together. It’s really fun going into each and every game. He understands when it’s a close game and we’re going to X and O and then understanding the balance of ‘hey, let’s go have some fun’. That’s a very difficult thing to toggle back and forth with but both of us understand it. That’s why we have a great partnership and I’m truly blessed to work with him because he knows what it takes on a daily basis to do a 2 ½ to 3 hour live show.
Our relationship obviously goes beyond television – I first met Jack back in the ‘90s when we were doing college basketball together for Madison Square Gardens Network and the WNBA New York Liberty. I know his three sons, he knows my three sons, we know each other’s wives, so there are a lot of shared moments together.
H: What’s on the horizon going forward?
Matt: “A lot of my off-season is spent catching up with my family. I let them decide how the summer is going to unfold. Occasionally, I’ll fill in on Blue Jays games, which is always fun, but I really enjoy being at home grilling when the season ends – not heading to an airport.
Jack: I hope to be able to finish my career here with the Toronto Raptors – obviously that’s a two-way street. I love it here and it’s been an honour and a privilege to do it. They say don’t mess with happy and I’m happy!
