Mike Fratello

The Czar of the Telestrator, Mike Fratello, is a legendary NBA coach and broadcaster.

Michael Robert Fratello (born February 24, 1947), nicknamed "the Czar", is an American sports broadcaster and former professional basketball coach. He is currently a part-time analyst for FanDuel Sports Network Ohio for the Cleveland Cavaliers and a part-time color commentator for FanDuel Sports Network SoCal for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Quick Facts

Height: 5 ft 7 in / 1.7 m
Born: 24 February 1947
Birthplace: North Haledon, New Jersey, U.S.
High school: Hackensack (Hackensack, New Jersey)
College: Montclair State
Coach start: 1970
Coach end: 2014

Lore & Background

Fratello previously coached the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA), served as NBC's lead analyst, as YES Network's color commentator/studio analyst for the Brooklyn Nets, as a commentator/studio analyst for NBA TV and for nationally televised games on TNT and was also the head coach of the Ukraine national basketball team. Fratello is among the winningest head coaches in NBA history, ranking respectively 18th and 19th in all-time regular season wins (667) and games coached (1,215).

Reader's Guide

During his stint as a color commentator, Marv Albert dubbed him "The Czar of the Telestrator" for his masterful way of diagramming basketball plays on screen. Starting with the 2008–09 season, Fratello worked with Marv Albert and Ian Eagle on New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets games on the YES Network. He left the YES Network after the 2017-18 season to join NBA TV on a full-time basis.

Did You Know?

Fratello was named NBA Coach of the Year for the 1985–86 season.
He coached the Ukraine national basketball team from 2011 to 2014, leading them to their first FIBA World Cup appearance.
Fratello's NBA career coaching record is 667 wins and 548 losses for a .549 average.