Longtime Lakers Public Address Announcer Lawrence Tanter Has Died at 76
Laker games will never sound the same. Having lost the voice of Laker basketball for nearly half a century and no one did it like him. Longtime Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter has died at age 76.
From Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Shaq and Kobe to LeBron James and now Luka Doncic, the Lakers have had many stars.
But only one man was the soundtrack to games featuring all of them. Tanter served as the team’s public address announcer for 43 years before retiring this past summer. In June, the 76-year-old Tanter retired from his courtside post where he had manned the microphone in L.A. since the “Showtime” days of the 1980s.
Known by Lakers fans simply by his initials, LT, Tanter was the longest-tenured PA announcer in team history and was recognized for his style as much as for his longevity. But also for the ability to grab the attention and move an audience with just the tone of his speech.
Lawrence could summon the gaze of the crowd with his “Laker girlsssss” call. He also was there to introduce every Laker player in the starting lineup as Kobe Bryant, just 5 days after the superstar’s tragic death. As Los Angeles and the NBA realm continued to heal from the shocking incident.
Regardless, of the occasion. No matter the matchup, Tanter made sure to meet the moment.
Longtime Lakers Public Address Announcer Lawrence Tanter Has Died at 76
The Los Angeles Lakers confirmed Lawrence Tanter’s passing and announced it online to basketball fans. The organization stated,
“We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of legendary Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter,” the team wrote in a statement shared on its social media accounts. “For 43 years, LT’s voice served as the soundtrack to Lakers games at the arena. He will be remembered as a cherished member of the Lakers family.”
Tanter is an iconic, indelible part of Lakers history. Since 1982 he was the iconic voice purple and gold fans heard at the Great Western Forum, Staples Center/Crypto.com Arena; all the way to 2026. He had and enjoyed a front-row seat to some of basketball’s greatest stars and the NBA won’t be the same without him. He will be missed.
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