Encyclopedia Of Detroit

Former basketball player Greg Kelser has been a familiar face and voice for Detroit Pistons fans as a color commentator for over 35 years.  

Gregory Kelser was born on September 17, 1957 in Panama City, Florida. Kelser’s father, originally from Detroit, was in the Air Force and therefore the family moved frequently, including time overseas. A disciplined basketball player from a young age, Kelser credits his upbringing as an aspect of his success. After graduating from Henry Ford High School in Detroit, he went to Michigan State University where he played forward and earned his moniker “Special K.” At MSU, he helped lead the Spartans to the school’s first NCAA Championship in 1979 alongside underclassman Earvin “Magic” Johnson. He achieved the remarkable statistic of 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during his collegiate career. Michigan State retired his number 32 jersey as soon as he graduated in 1979. 

The Detroit Pistons drafted Kelser as the fourth overall pick in 1979, commencing his professional NBA career. In his rookie season, he achieved an average of 14 points per game, but in his second year began experiencing knee problems that would plague him for the next several years. Kelser was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics during the 1981-82 season. From there, he played for the San Diego Clippers starting in 1983, and finally the Indiana Pacers in 1984 for a total of six seasons playing in the NBA. With his persistent knee problems, Kelser decided to retire from playing following the 1984-85 season.  

Kelser made the transition to broadcasting when he became a color analyst for Detroit Pistons radio broadcasts on WWJ 950-AM and on television on WKBD-TV (Channel 50) in 1988. Since then, he has done commentary for the Pistons and other teams on several networks like Black Entertainment Television (BET), the Big Ten Network, and mostly, Bally Sports Detroit alongside longtime play-by-play announcer George Blaha. Kelser was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. He is also a motivational and public speaker and has run basketball camps for kids for over 40 years.