​As Shawnee Park Road curved left, a man’s voice carried clearly through the trees. It was at once complimentary and critical, praising smooth jump shots and criticizing three-pointers that fell short.The voice belonged to Cornell Bradley, known simply as “the voice” of the Dirt Bowl, the basketball tournament held each summer at Shawnee Park.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt’s unclear exactly when Bradley earned the nickname, but it has stuck. Bradley, a Dirt Bowl announcer for decades, has become synonymous with the tournament, which began in 1969 in response to the unrest following Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination the previous year.“If it weren’t for him (Bradley), it probably wouldn’t be here right now,” David Girton, a former Dirt Bowl referee, said of the tournament.On a recent Sunday, Bradley sat along the sideline of the blue-and-yellow-painted court bearing his name at Shawnee Park.Scenes from the 2026 Dirt Bowl, an annual Louisville summer basketball tournament, at Shawnee Park. June 28, 2026.Though the temperature hovered in the upper 80s and the dew point was high, the heat didn’t seem to bother the 74-year-old, who wore a slightly oversized gray shirt featuring a cartoon image of himself shouting his most famous catchphrase into a microphone: “Bang! I said Bang!”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBradley said he coined the phrase, which he utters each time someone sinks a three-pointer, in the 1980s, shortly after he transitioned from refereeing the tournament to announcing. He played in the Dirt Bowl even earlier, appearing on the court in the 1970s.As the players flitted back and forth, Bradley leaned back in his camp chair. His play-by-play that day, as on most days, was simple and direct, with no unnecessary verbiage.He named what he saw. “The pass, the cross, the shot,” Bradley intoned with a slight drawl.When players drove to the basket, Bradley grew more animated, shouting, “Power! Power!”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhen someone made a field goal, Bradley exclaimed, “Count it!”When a player was on a scoring streak, Bradley shouted, “He’s fired up! He’s fired up!”, lilting his voice for emphasis.Cornell Bradley, announces durning the 2026 Dirt Bowl, an annual Louisville summer basketball tournament, at Shawnee Park. June 28, 2026.Perhaps Bradley’s highest praise is to call someone “LeBron,” after the N.B.A.’s all-time leading scorer.“He’s got it down to a science,” Will Pitts said of Bradley, who added that he typically plays in the tournament each year but, having just turned 45, decided to take this summer’s off.When on the mic, Bradley compliments good shots and gameplay, a gesture Terence Langford appreciates.“Who don’t want to make a shot and be announced on the microphone? He gives people credit. He shows love,” the 28-year-old player said.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut Bradley is not shy about calling out the bad.“Oh man,