Play-by-play announcer Kevin Calabro is stepping down from his role as the TV voice of the Portland Trail Blazers. Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

Legendary NBA play-by-play announcer Kevin Calabro is stepping down from his role as the TV voice of the Portland Trail Blazers after four seasons on the job.

Portland announced the news on Wednesday.

“This was a very difficult decision to make and I want to thank the Allen family and Chris McGowan for their support and understanding,” said Calabro. “I’ll always be grateful to the Rip City fans for welcoming me into the family.”

The Oregonian’s John Canzano says the decision was Calabro’s and that the announcer was not laid off by the team.

Calabro tweeted about the announcement and said he had decided to “hit the pause button."

Calabro, 64, began working as an NBA announcer in 1979 and served as the voice of the Seattle SuperSonics for 21 years. He teamed with Lamar Hurd to announce Trail Blazers games beginning in the 2016-17 season.

Local broadcasters will not be part of the NBA’s bubble in Orlando. The plan is to have local announcers call games remotely from their local studios. Studio host Jordan Kent will assume the Blazers' play-by-play duties.

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