Ric Bucher is an NBA analyst for ESPN and ESPN.com. Bucher is also a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and a columnist for ESPN.com. He's a 1983 graduate of Dartmouth College, where he played four years on the varsity soccer team and was a member of Alpha Delta fraternity. He lives in California with his wife and two children.
Bucher has covered the NBA since 1992-93, and has been a professional writer for 22 years. He was a beat writer for the San Jose Mercury News and The Washington Post before joining ESPN. He frequently attends Golden State Warriors games as he lives in the Bay Area.
During a radio broadcast on April 16, 2008, Bucher opined that the Utah Jazz are strong at home because of the team's "vicious", "Mormon" fans:[1]
"It is the most intimidating place to play because of the configuration of the arena... and, let's be honest... they are Mormon. They are in St Lake, and there's nothing up there. [Mormons] gotta smile and be happy all the time... and this is the one opportunity for people to get vicious in a fair arena. And the fans seem to take full advantage of it."[1]
Bucher later apologized for the remarks.[2]