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Lawrence Tanter

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Lawrence Tanter
Image
Born1949 (1949)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died (aged 76)
OccupationAnnouncer
Known forPA announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers

Lawrence Tanter (1949 – September 23, 2026), also known as L.T.,[1] was an American public address announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). While working with the Lakers, he was a longtime disc jockey and program director at both jazz and rhythm and blues radio stations in Los Angeles.[1]

Early life

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Tanter was born in Chicago in 1949.[2][3] He played basketball in high school, as well as the saxophone and clarinet.[4] A 6-foot-7-inch (2.01 m) forward, he earned an athletic scholarship to play college basketball at the University of Dubuque. He worked at the college radio station after responding to an ad for a host for a Sunday night jazz program.[4][5]

Professional career

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Tanter moved to Los Angeles in 1971, and was initially a cab driver.[4] He began working at radio station KJLH in 1972,[4] before joining KUTE and driving their quiet storm format.[6]

He started attending Los Angeles Lakers games after they acquired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Listening to their public address announcer piqued Tanter's interest in the role. He was friends with Lakers player Jamaal Wilkes, who helped him submit an audition tape.[4][5] Tanter began working as the Lakers' public address announcer during the 1982–83 season.[7][8] He became their longest tenured PA announcer.[9] During his tenure at The Forum and later Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers won 9 NBA championships,[a][9][7] and he called 14 NBA Finals series.[9]

Known for his smooth baritone voice and affinity for jazz music,[5] Tanter maintained his low-key style, even as other announcers grew louder and sought attention.[1][5] “I never tried to be a cheerleader”, he said.[1] His signature call was "Llllaker Girlsss" after the team's dance squad completed a performance and scampered off the court.[1][10] On traveling violations, he called "too many steps".[5][11] Tanter mixed his inflections.[12] On an exciting play, he extended the vowel of a name, such as "James Woorrrtheeeee", "Michael Coooooperrr", "Kobeeee Bryant", or "LeBronnnn James".[1][12]

Tanter resigned from the Lakers in 1993,[13] when he became co-owner of KQBR in Sacramento, California.[14][15] He moved back to Los Angeles and returned to the Lakers in 1995, after missing two seasons.[16][17]

When the WWE fought with the Denver Nuggets over an arena booking for a playoff game in 2009, Tanter was recruited as guest ring announcer for the main event of a newly relocated Raw at Staples Center. In the match, five heel (villain) wrestlers in Denver Nuggets jerseys competed against five face (hero) wrestlers in Los Angeles Lakers jerseys,[18] and the Lakers team won. Soon afterward, the Lakers eliminated the Nuggets in the 2009 Western Conference Finals 4–2. They went on to defeat the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals and capture their 15th NBA title.[19]

The Lakers won their 17th NBA championship in 2019–20.[20] That season, Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January 2020. In the Lakers' first game after his death, Tanter introduced all five Lakers starters as Kobe Bryant, as suggested by LeBron James.[7][10] Tanter called it "the hardest introductions ever".[1] Later that year, he played an instrumental role in re-creating a home feel for Lakers "home" games in the 2020 NBA Bubble, as the league returned to action following a hiatus due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In July, he recorded an array of starting lineup introductions, accounting for potential lineup variations and team highlights, at a home studio in Los Angeles. Matt Shelton, the Lakers' director of game entertainment, pieced together Tanter's tracks with Adobe Audition editing software. As the Lakers advanced in the postseason, Tanter's voice was a part of the game presentation.[21]

Tanter's other on-air work in Los Angeles included KTWV.[22][23] He served as program director at KUTE, KACE, and KKJZ.[4][23] Additionally, he served as the announcer for LTV, the Lakers pregame show on KCAL-TV, during the Lakers' time with that station.[24]

After more than 40 seasons with the Lakers,[b] Tanter retired from his role as public address announcer at the conclusion of the 2025–26 season, citing health issues, which caused him to miss the remaining six games of that season plus the playoffs. He remained with the Lakers as an advisor focusing on game presentation until his death.[10][25]

Death

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Tanter died on September 23, 2026, at the age of 76.[11][7] He had reportedly suffered a stroke in March 2026, causing him to miss several of the Lakers' games towards the end of the season.[26][27][28]

Notes

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  1. ↑ The Lakers won titles in the 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, and 2020 NBA Finals. Some sources say they won 10 titles during his tenure.[10][11]
  2. ↑ Tanter's tenure spanned from 1982–83 through 2025–26.[7] While some sources say 43 seasons,[10] he missed two seasons in 1993–94 and 1994–95.[16] Some other sources say he missed only one year, 1994.[5][8]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Plaschke, Bill (June 21, 2026). "Lawrence Tanter was the Lakers' smooth operator whose subtlety spoke volumes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  2. ↑ Dillon, Brenda (March 30, 1986). "First Person". Los Angeles Herald Examiner. California Living, p. 11. Retrieved September 26, 2026 – via Newspapers.com. Born in Chicago, Tanter attended the University of Dubuque, Iowa, on a basketball scholarship and received a B.A. in history.
  3. ↑ Henderson, Devon (September 23, 2026). "Longtime Lakers announcer Lawrence Tanter dies at 76: 'Forever in our hearts'". The Athletic. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Erskine, Chris. "Lawrence Tanter sets the tone for the Lakers, and jazz station". Los Angeles Times, March 23, 2011. Retrieved on May 14, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Adande, J.A. (May 3, 2019). "The Timeless Baritone Of Lakers PA Announcer Lawrence Tanter". WBUR. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  6. ↑ Ritchie, Ed (March 4, 2002). "Smooth Operator". Los Angeles Downtown News. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Jones, Jason (September 25, 2026). "Lawrence Tanter didn't have to try hard. The longtime Lakers PA announcer had a gift". The Athletic. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  8. 1 2 Whicker, Mark (June 7, 2002). "Tanter offers L.A. a soothing voice". The Desert Sun. p. C1. Retrieved September 28, 2026 – via Newspapers.com. He has been the in-house voice of the Lakers every year since, except for 1994, when Tanter was busy with a radio station he had bought in Sacramento 'of all places,' he said.
  9. 1 2 3 "Los Angeles Lakers 2025–26 Media Guide" (PDF). Los Angeles Lakers. 2025. p. 24. Retrieved September 25, 2026 – via Internet Archive. Beginning in 1982 at the Great Western Forum and continuing to the present Cyrpto.Com Arena. He has called over 2,100 games from his familiar seat at center court including 4 NBA All-Star games…14 NBA Finals series…and 9 NBA Championships.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 McMenamin, Dave (September 24, 2026). "Longtime Lakers public-address announcer Lawrence Tanter dies". ESPN. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (September 23, 2026). "Beloved Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter dies at 76". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 27, 2026.
  12. 1 2 Lucas, Michael P. (October 31, 1989). "Lawrence Tanter: A voice of calm above fast-breaking madness of Showtime". Los Angeles Times. p. C7. Retrieved September 27, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Chortkoff, Mitch (November 7, 1993). "Not all Sonics think trade was super". The Daily Breeze. p. C10. Retrieved September 25, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Chortkoff, Mitch (February 27, 1994). "Clippers waste opportunity with Manning trade". The Daily Breeze. p. C10. Retrieved September 25, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Alim, Fahizah (July 21, 1994). "Fresh air". The Sacramento Bee. pp. E1, E4. Retrieved September 25, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. 1 2 "Referee pickets prevalent". The San Bernardino County Sun. November 5, 1995. p. C9. Retrieved September 25, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ Ferraro, Cathleen (March 13, 1998). "Radio station denied bankruptcy protection". The Sacramento Bee. pp. F1, F2. Retrieved September 25, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ Lopez, Andrew (May 3, 2023). "How arenas handle multiple sports in NHL and NBA playoff season". ESPN. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  19. ↑ Medina, Mark (June 17, 2009). "2008-09 NBA Champions". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  20. ↑ Hiserman, Mike; Loumena, Dan (October 14, 2020). "How the Lakers won the franchise's 17th NBA title". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  21. ↑ McMenamin, Dave (August 5, 2020). "Lakers re-creating home feel in Orlando NBA bubble". espn.com. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  22. ↑ Lycan, Gary (August 27, 2010). "'Second banana is delicious,' says new Tilden co-host Strasser". The Orange County Register. Retrieved September 25, 2026. Until recently, he was also a weekend personality on KTWV-FM. But now he's reunited with former boss Saul Levine as director of programming at KKJZ/88.1 FM.
  23. 1 2 Jacobson, Adam (September 24, 2026). "From Radio Host To Lakers Voice: Tanter Is Mourned". Radio and Television Business Report. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  24. ↑ Stewart, Larry (December 22, 2006). "Lakers telecasts proving to be a big ratings winner". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Lawrence Tanter retiring after 40 years with the Lakers". ESPN.com. June 16, 2026.
  26. ↑ Royer, Benjamin (September 24, 2026). "Longtime Lakers PA announcer Lawrence Tanter dies at 76". Daily Buletin. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  27. ↑ Sarkar, Rana (September 24, 2026). "'Just an employee': Lakers fans remember Lawrence Tanter's humble response whenever he was called a legend after his death". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
  28. ↑ Smith, Marcus D. (September 24, 2026). "Longtime Lakers PA announcer Lawrence Tanter dies at 76: NBA world pays tribute to legendary voice". USA TODAY. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
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