Alan Hahn: From Newsday sportswriter to TV and radio star with new ESPN New York show debuting Monday
Alan Hahn of MSG Networks and ESPN New York Radio. Credit: ESPN Images/Joe Faraoni
This was not the plan.
The plan for Alan Hahn was a long career at Newsday, ideally culminating with being a columnist. What could be better than that?
“I always thought that’s what would happen,” he said. “But things just started to come my way. And each opportunity, I would say, ‘Let me try that.’ ”
It began in the summer of 2010, when Hahn was deep into coverage of LeBron James’ free agency drama and appeared as a guest to talk about it on MSG. The network took note of the then-Knicks beat writer’s comfort on television, which led to occasional studio appearances in 2010-11 and then to a full-time TV studio gig the following season, primarily as a Knicks analyst.
Soon Hahn also became a sports talk radio regular at ESPN New York, leading to his latest career milestone: The station moved Hahn from middays to the prestigious afternoon drive time slot, succeeding Michael Kay beside Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg.
“Don, Hahn and Rosenberg” launches on Monday after a soft opening last month.
Alan Hahn, middle, is part of ESPN New York radio's new afternoon drive show, "Don, Hahn and Rosenberg." Credit: ESPN
It will be another moment in an already heady stretch for Hahn, 53, who filled in for Walt Frazier as MSG’s Knicks game analyst during Frazier’s holiday break.
Again, none of this was on Hahn’s agenda when he graduated from LIU Post as an aspiring print journalist. He grew up in Ronkonkoma listening to and appreciating game announcers and sports talk radio hosts as a fan, not as career role models.
He was a writer, period. Now he is a TV and radio star. He never stops reminding himself to appreciate the professional detour.
“I have this impostor syndrome where now I’ll be here and [worry] people go, ‘Wait, no, no, you weren’t supposed to be doing this,’ ” he said. “So every day I overprepare and work to make sure that never happens.”
Hahn said that feeling was most acute during his first Knicks game, working with Mike Breen in 2022 when Luka Doncic of the Mavericks had a 60-point triple-double.
MSG reporter Alan Hahn. Credit: MSG
“I had a moment that I said to myself, ‘Is this real?’ ” he said. “I caught myself being a listener instead of an active participant on the broadcast. And I had to remind myself, ‘Hey, you’ve got to say something.’ ”
Hahn noted that the Knicks had better box out Doncic, who was shooting a free throw with the Mavericks down two in the final seconds. Doncic intentionally missed it, wound up with the loose ball and hit a jumper to tie the score and send the game to overtime. The Knicks wound up losing.
Hahn has been all over the radio schedule for ESPN and even helped launch a media career for Rick DiPietro, the former goalie whom Hahn covered as an Islanders beat writer. The two hosted an evening show together starting in 2014.
Now DiPietro is a morning co-host and Hahn is in the day’s other key time slot after Kay opted to cut back on his schedule and instead host a solo show from 1 to 3 p.m.
It was an opportunity Hahn could not pass up, even though he said the move is “bittersweet” because his partner of five years, Bart Scott, is not coming with him. Scott will join Chris Carlin in the 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. slot.
Still, Hahn said he has known and liked La Greca and Rosenberg for years and believes the three will jell quickly.
MSG reporter Alan Hahn, right, talks with Knicks guard Jalen Brunson before a game. Credit: MSG
“I’m not a big personality guy,” Hahn said. “I'm not going to be Craig Carton and I'm not going to be Mike Francesa. I'm not going to be even Michael Kay.
“I'm more of a point guard. So I don't think it's going to be the challenge of how do we all mesh and how do I get my words in? . . . I want this to be a little more collaborative. I’m not going to try to pretend I'm something I'm not. I'm not a big shock jock kind of guy, but I will have opinions.”
ESPN executive VP for sports news and entertainment Dave Roberts said Hahn earned the opportunity with his experience, commitment, preparation “and most importantly his dedication to serving New York sports fans with 1,000% effort.”
Did Roberts hesitate to insert Hahn between Kay’s two partners rather move him with Scott?
“Absolutely not,” he said. “Each day part will be strong because of the commitment to providing New York sports fans with talent all day and night with talented teammates.”
Wally Szczerbiak, Hahn’s longtime Knicks studio partner, said of Hahn’s move to drive time, “He’s fun to listen to. I know him as a person, and his personality comes out on air. He’s very genuine.”
Just as Kay experienced scheduling challenges going from drive time radio to YES’ Yankees coverage, Hahn will have to make some minor concessions.
When the Knicks are home, he will do the radio show from Madison Square Garden and twice leave briefly in the 6-7 p.m. hour to record material for the TV pregame show.
“Rather than make me make a choice, it was more like, ‘We don't want to lose you, so let's make this work,’ ” Hahn said. “That said all I need to know about how much they value me, which is great.”
Hahn said his newspaper background “is probably the greatest asset I have,” from the work ethic he learned on the beat-reporting grind to knowing how to ask good questions to the simple act of writing and storytelling.
Still, he is fully on a new path now, more than ever.
“I didn’t train for this,” Hahn said. “I always use this line: I didn’t pursue this career, it pursued me.”
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
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