CBS broadcasting legend Jim Nantz offered a touching tribute to Billy Packer after the longtime Final Four basketball analyst died Thursday night at the age of 82.
“I think Billy will go down in history as one of the greatest analysts in the history of sports television,” Nantz remarked during an appearance on “CBS Mornings,” per the Barrett Sports Media website. “I think that when you look at the pantheon of great analysts, you’ve got John Madden and you’ve got Billy Packer. You start right there. He blessed this network for a long time, from 1982 to 2008. One of my dearest friends. It’s been a restless night thinking of the Packer family, which I’m very close to. I got to speak to Billy the day before he died, and tell him I loved him.”
