2 days ago
She got her start as Pacers in-arena host. Now she's back in Indy for NBA Finals with ESPN
INDIANAPOLIS – Growing up in Terre Haute, Vanessa Richardson's introduction to sports was through her father.
George Richardson, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis while still in his 20s, would take Vanessa to basketball games at Indiana State, Colts' training camp in Terre Haute and high school games.
'My dad was my best friend,' Vanessa said. 'I tell people all the time that a social activity in Indiana is going to a high school basketball game. That's what we did.'
Life came full circle this week for the 30-year-old Richardson, who was the in-arena host for Pacers' games from 2015-17 during her junior and senior years at the University of Indianapolis. Now working as a television sideline reporter for Houston Rockets' games, Richardson is back in Indianapolis for the NBA Finals, hosting a digital pregame show for ESPN, 'Hoop Dreams', and working as the radio sideline reporter.
'It's surreal to think eight years ago I was the girl on the jumbotron for the Pacers and now I'm hosting a pregame show for the NBA Finals,' she said. 'I became a sports reporter because of my late father. He would take me to games in my hometown all the time. It's so cool to be back here.'
George was a regular at Pacers games during Vanessa's time working for the team. Though he was in a wheelchair, he never let that stop him from getting to games and supporting his daughter. When he passed away in April of 2022 at 62, it was crushing for Vanessa.
'The thing we would do is watch sports together,' she said. 'I've been thinking about him a lot. When I was the in-arena host for the Pacers, he was here all the time.'
Richardson, a Terre Haute North graduate, said she thought Indianapolis 'was a massive city' when she arrived at UIndy in the fall of 2013. But she immediately dove into her passion for sports at WICR 88.7 FM, the public radio station owned by UIndy. It was real world experience for Richardson, who worked as a disc jockey and sports reporter.
'Going to the University of Indianapolis was the key to my success,' said Richardson, who was also a freelance sports correspondent for the 'Bob and Tom Show' in college. 'As a 19-year-old freshman, I was in the Colts' and Pacers' locker room interviewing players. Being hired as the arena host was a great stroke of luck.'
After Richardson graduated from UIndy, she was hired as a reporter and anchor for WLWT-TV, an NBC affiliate in Cincinnati. At WLWT, she covered high school football, worked as a morning traffic anchor and covered the Bengals and Reds, among other general assignment events.
Basically, her duties were whatever needed to be done. Richardson said former Indiana University star and Pacers' TV analyst Quinn Buckner deserves an assist for getting her out of her comfort zone.
'I didn't know if I would leave (Indianapolis) or not and Quinn Buckner pulled me aside and said, 'If you want to be a true journalist, go where nobody knows you and grow as a reporter,'' Richardson said. 'In Cincinnati, I was doing morning traffic and news and came back and did sports. That was an awesome first job. But I wanted to do sports full time.'
An opportunity opened in Houston at KPRC-TV, the NBC affiliate, in August of 2019. It was a gold mine for Richardson, who reported on weekdays and anchored on weekends. She hosted a weekly 30-minute sports show and covered the Houston Texans, the World Series, NFL Combine and college football.
'Then I took a leap of faith and started a sports talk radio show in Houston from 10 to 12 every morning,' Richardson said. 'Talking two hours a day helped me grow. It was fun to get back to my radio roots. I grew so much. Then when the Rockets' job opened, I was already in Houston and covered the team, so it felt like a perfect fit.'
In October of 2022, she was hired as the sideline reporter for the Rockets for Space City Home Network (the Houston regional sports network, formerly AT&T SportsNet Southwest).
'I would say Houston has become my second home,' Richardson said. 'When you work in this industry, you're lucky if you have a couple places that feel that way.'
Indianapolis is certainly home for Richardson, who has felt the pangs of nostalgia during the NBA Finals. When she worked for the Pacers, Myles Turner was a rookie.
'I would see him at Prime 47 after games,' Richardson said. 'I was with my parents and he was with his parents. Neither one of us was 21 yet.'
Richardson was originally just supposed to host her new digital show, called 'Hoop Dreams', which is an ESPN pregame show. The radio sideline reporter was added to her plate when television sideline reporter Lisa Salters missed Game 2, 3 and 4 to be with her ailing mother. Radio sideline reporter Jorge Sedano was moved to fill Salters' shoes and Richardson got the call.
'My assignment was hosting 'Hoop Dreams' for the Western Finals and Finals,' she said. 'I'm excited about the show. We're not trying to emulate NBA Countdown. It's more of a free-flowing show with fashion, trends and topics around the league. We had Rick Fox stop by. We're trying to be a good hang.'
Richardson is well prepared for such a role. On Wednesday before Game 3, she looked around and took in the moment when she saw Oscar Robertson sitting next to Reggie Miller and Edgerrin James down the row.
'It's been a warm welcome home,' she said. 'It's meant so much to see so many people I used to work with and see regularly at games.'
Of course, there was one person she wishes could be here: Her father. She would not have been here without him. He taught her how to treat people well and work hard. Those lessons have served his daughter well.
'Everybody sees what you're doing now,' Richardson said. 'They don't see you shooting high school football games and waking up at 2 a.m. to do morning traffic. You have to have faith because this is a grind of an industry.
