The Miami Heat has a new voice.
Gale Nelson, the longtime president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami, has been named the team’s new public address announcer and official “Voice of the Heat” beginning with the 2026-27 season.
Nelson will succeed Michael “Mike B” Baiamonte, who retired following the 2025-26 season after 35 years behind the microphone at Heat games.
Baiamonte began announcing games for the Heat in 1990 and became a familiar voice during some of the most important moments in franchise history, including all three of the team’s NBA championship seasons. He retired as the second-longest-serving public address announcer in NBA history.
Now, Nelson will take over the microphone while continuing his work as the leader of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami, a position he has held for more than 20 years.
The organization provides mentoring services to young people throughout Miami-Dade County, and Nelson’s contributions to the South Florida community have earned widespread recognition. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava previously honored him by proclaiming a “Gale Nelson Day.”
For Nelson, joining the Heat is both a professional opportunity and a chance to build on Baiamonte’s legacy.
“This is a dream, and I do not take it lightly,” Nelson said. “Mike B set the gold standard. My job is to honor that legacy and bring my own energy to every single possession.”
A Voice Built for the Moment
Nelson’s experience with a microphone goes back to his freshman year at Bowsher High School in Toledo, Ohio. He was introduced to announcing after the school’s late principal, James Ray, a former NBA player, encouraged him to use a microphone.
Decades later, that early experience has led Nelson to one of the most recognizable microphones in South Florida sports.
Michael McCullough, the Heat’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said Nelson’s distinctive voice and personality immediately caught the organization’s attention during the search for Baiamonte’s successor.
“Gale brings a unique style and his very distinctive voice to the PA announcer position,” McCullough said. “We were intrigued right from the start when we heard Gale, and we knew he could be exactly what we were looking for.”
Nelson will continue leading Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami while serving as the Heat’s public address announcer. He sees a natural connection between the two roles, particularly when it comes to motivating young people and strengthening the community.
“Every kid who hears my voice in that arena should know that someone believes in them,” Nelson said. “That’s what mentorship is. You don’t have to be perfect; you just have to be present.”
When Will Gale Nelson Make His Heat Debut?
Nelson is scheduled to make his first appearance as the Heat’s public address announcer on Oct. 6, when Miami holds its Red, White & Pink intra-squad scrimmage at Kaseya Center.
His first home preseason game will follow on Oct. 8, when the Heat hosts the New Orleans Pelicans.
For a franchise accustomed to hearing Mike B’s voice during some of its biggest moments, a new era is about to begin. Nelson now has the opportunity to make the Heat microphone his own while carrying forward a legacy that spans more than three decades.
