From covering the Knicks for more than two decades to becoming a familiar face on YES Network, Frank Isola has built a remarkable career in New York sports. Here's a look at the Nets studio analyst's journey as he celebrates his birthday.
Brooklyn Nets fans have become pretty familiar with Frank Isola over the past few years, whether it’s through his work on YES Network broadcasts, his appearances on ESPN, or his long career covering the NBA. Isola celebrates his birthday on August 29.
Born on August 29, 1966, Isola has spent more than three decades working in sports media, covering some of the biggest stories in basketball and becoming a familiar name to New York sports fans.
Isola began his career at the New York Post in 1987, where he covered high school and college basketball. He later joined the New York Daily News, initially covering the New York Mets before moving over to the Knicks beat.
Isola spent more than two decades covering the Knicks and the NBA for the Daily News, giving him a front-row seat to plenty of memorable moments in New York basketball. During his time there, he also covered the 2004 and 2012 Olympic Games, including men's basketball, women's soccer, beach volleyball and weightlifting.
His work earned him an Associated Press Sports Editors sports writing award in 1998. He was also named New York Sportswriter of the Year in 2015.
After leaving the Daily News in 2018, Isola joined The Athletic as a senior writer, where he continued covering the NBA before making the move to ESPN.
He has since become a regular on some of ESPN's most recognizable programs, including Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption. For anyone who follows the NBA closely, Isola has become a familiar voice when it comes to discussing the league, particularly the teams and storylines around New York.
His work also extends to SiriusXM NBA Radio, where he has co-hosted The Starting Lineup since 2007. The morning show has given Isola another opportunity to talk basketball and share his opinions on the latest happenings around the NBA.
For Nets fans, though, Isola has become especially familiar through his work with YES Network. He joined the network as a Brooklyn Nets studio analyst in 2021, becoming part of the team's pregame and postgame coverage.
That has given Nets fans the chance to see a different side of Isola than the one many New York sports fans knew from his years as a newspaper writer. His experience covering the NBA for decades has made him a natural fit for the Nets' broadcast team.
Outside of sports media, Isola is a graduate of the University of Maryland, where he was a walk-on member of the men's soccer team. He and his wife, Tonja, have two children.
Isola has spent decades covering New York sports, from his early days at the New York Post to his years on the Knicks beat and his current work with ESPN, SiriusXM and YES Network.
Nets fans have gotten to know him in a different role over the past few years, and he has become a familiar part of the team's broadcast coverage.
Happy birthday, Frank Isola!
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