Former Rockets public address announcer to handle Thunder home games

Mario Nanni spent the 1996-2003 seasons doing PA for the Houston Rockets. He will stand in for the remainder of the playoffs. The Thunder plans to hold a tryout this summer for a permanent announcer.

The Oklahoma City Thunder has settled on a new public address announcer for the remainder of the NBA playoffs.  Mario Nanni, who served in the same role with Houston from 1996 through 2003, will now man the microphone inside Chesapeake Energy Arena beginning with the Thunder's opening game of the second round on Monday night.

“The priority for us was finding someone with significant NBA experience who can step in on short notice and assist for the remainder of the playoffs,” said Dan Mahoney, vice president of corporate communications and community relations, in an emailed statement. “Mario is well-versed in league rules and regulations and brings the necessary talent, background and experience to handle the job.”  read the full story