Sonny Hill
Encyclopedia
William Randolph "Sonny" Hill (born July 22, 1936) is a former basketball
player and announcer. He is a member of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, and current sports radio
personality for WIP-AM 610 in Philadelphia. He also serves as an executive advisor for the Philadelphia 76ers. He is known as Mr. Basketball in Philadelphia for founding the eponymous Sonny Hill League and for his many contributions to the game.
in 1955 he attended college for two years and then joined the Eastern Basketball League. In 1964 he and his bride, Edith, moved into a modest West Philadelphia row home, where they live today.
. He was also a commentator with the NBA on CBS from 1972 until 1977.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and announcer. He is a member of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, and current sports radio
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
personality for WIP-AM 610 in Philadelphia. He also serves as an executive advisor for the Philadelphia 76ers. He is known as Mr. Basketball in Philadelphia for founding the eponymous Sonny Hill League and for his many contributions to the game.
Early life
Hill was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Northeast High SchoolNortheast High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Northeast High School is a high school located at 1601 Cottman Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....
in 1955 he attended college for two years and then joined the Eastern Basketball League. In 1964 he and his bride, Edith, moved into a modest West Philadelphia row home, where they live today.
Playing career
Sonny's played college basketball and played semi-professionally in the Eastern Basketball League from 1958 to 1967.Broadcasting career
Hill has hosted a weekly show on WIP-AM (610) since 1987. He began his broadcast career in 1969 as a color commentator with Andy Musser for the Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
. He was also a commentator with the NBA on CBS from 1972 until 1977.
The Sonny Hill League
The Sonny Hill Community Involvement League is an amateur summer basketball organization in the Delaware Valley. Founded in 1968, the league was established as a safe haven to the gang warfare and violence. The league began as an extension of the Charles Baker Memorial League, and consists of more than 60 teams serving more than 800 student athletes.Awards and honors
- Hill received the Mannie Jackson Human Spirit Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.