The Nets other free agency signing: Their new voice

Olivier Sedra has a championship ring but no jump shot. The man who introduced LeBron James countless times to a loving crowd at the Q in Cleveland is now the Voice of the Nets, The Big Baritone, if you will.

Generally considered one of the best, if not the best public address announcer in the NBA, Sedra spoke to the New York Times about what it takes to do his job well.

He broke it down into four areas...

Basketball I.Q. “When something happens on the court, I’m the first to react to it,” Mr. Sedra said, “so you have to have knowledge of the game.”

Quick judgment. “You’ve got to know timing,” he told us, likening it to improv. “It’s really important to feed off what’s happening.”

Good chemistry. He described himself as a conduit between the crowd and the court. “I’m supposed to emit a certain type of energy to the crowd, but at the same time I feed off the crowd and reciprocate the energy they feel.”

Stage presence. While there’s no acting involved, Mr. Sedra said his demeanor and pronunciation of words change behind the mic. He does not, however, recite “how now brown cow” to loosen up; “I rehearse in my mind.”

Sedra, who grew up in Montreal, offers some advice for those who think what he does is just talking into a mic.

“You could probably do it in your living room when there’s nobody there, but let me drop you in the N.B.A. Finals and say ‘go,’” he said. “You’re not in your living room anymore; it’s 20,000 people and millions listening around the world.”

Okay, it’s actually 17,732 at Barclays, but we get it. Good luck to him this season.

• New York Today: The Voice of the Brooklyn Nets - Alexandra E. Levine - New York Times