Former Celtics host Kyle Draper opened up about six years of sobriety
Draper explained that a "breakthrough" moment came when he was working for the Celtics in 2017.
Kyle Draper is currently looking forward to doing the play-by-play announcing for Sacramento Kings games in the team’s first playoff series since 2006. As he recently told Michael Grant of Awful Announcing, such a career highlight seemed tougher to imagine prior to when he stopped drinking.
In an expansive interview, Draper — who worked for NBC Sports Boston as a reporter, host, and play-by-play announcer prior to his move to Sacramento — opened up about his struggle to confront being an alcoholic, as well as recently marking six years of sobriety.
“I never thought I was an alcoholic until I stopped drinking,” Draper told Grant. “I realized how much alcohol impacted my life. Who I hung out with and who I was friends with. I had social anxiety. When I’m at a bar or a party, I feel like all eyes are on me. I always felt like I needed a drink in my hand. So, I would drink a lot. I was only a social drinker. I rarely drank at home.”
Draper recently acknowledged his ongoing efforts to remain sober with a post on his social media, noting the sixth anniversary of his decision to quit “cold turkey” from drinking.
Prior to that, Draper explained that he was a functioning alcoholic. But as he noted, his career arc took off after he stopped.
“I was still at work. I was still on TV. I was still doing everything that was expected of me,” he said of the time when he was still drinking. “But I will tell you this: when I stopped drinking alcohol, that’s when my career took off. I was offered a job with the Oklahoma City Thunder to be their play-by-play announcer. I ultimately didn’t take that job, but things just started to fall into place for me professionally.”
Draper left Boston for Sacramento in 2020. A pivotal moment in addressing his alcoholism came when he was still with the Celtics in 2017.
“The breakthrough came for when was when I was in London in 2017,” said Draper. “I was doing a meet-and-greet with Boston Celtics fans at a bar. I went early and I talked to the bartender. I said ‘What do people who don’t drink do at a bar? He said ‘They order mocktails or order a nonalcoholic beer.’ I said ‘Let me try a nonalcoholic beer.’
“I’ve never been a beer drinker but when I had that nonalcoholic beer in my hand because it looked like alcohol, it put me at ease,” he continued. “I wasn’t as anxious. I wasn’t as worried that everyone was looking at me. Ever since then, when I go to a bar or restaurant, I will order a mocktail.”
Draper added that despite his six-year achievement, “every day it’s a struggle.”
He will have the call as the Kings face the Warriors in the two teams’ upcoming first-round NBA playoff series (which gets underway starting on April 15).
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