Dave McMenaminSep 24, 2026, 01:38 AM ETCloseLakers and NBA reporter for ESPN. Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.Multiple AuthorsLongtime Los Angeles Lakers public-address announcer Lawrence Tanter has died, the team announced Wednesday.”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.”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.Tanter had suffered a stroke late in the regular season and missed the Lakers’ last six home games, plus the playoffs.Last month, shortly before entering into hospice care, Tanter texted ESPN.”Quote me,” he wrote, “‘It’s been a blessing.'” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Los Angeles Lakers (@lakers) 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.Despite being equipped with a booming baritone voice and an imposing 6-foot-7 frame, Tanter’s presentation relied on restraint, using a silky-smooth delivery to share the Lakers’ starting lineups, substitutions, fouls and score announcements with an aim to inform rather than distract the audience.Tanter channeled his parallel career as a disc jockey at various jazz radio stations in L.A. when he reported to the arena, often wearing an eight-panel cap atop his head and sporting a well-manicured white goatee on his chin.Always part of the tapestry but never stealing the spotlight, Tanter’s signature call became announcing “The Laker girlllssss” when the dance team finished a routine and scampered off the court.Tanter’s role was particularly poignant during the Lakers’ most recent championship season in 2019-20.
When the Lakers played their first game after Kobe Bryant’s death in January 2020, Tanter introduced all five Lakers starters with the same line: “6-6, 20th year out of Lower Merion High School, Kob-eeeeee Bryant!” Later that season, when the Lakers competed in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida, and eventually won the championship, Tanter recorded player introductions at a home studio in the Porter Ranch area of Los Angeles that were played before Lakers games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.The Chicago native played forward for his high school basketball team and received a scholarship to attend the University of Dubuque in Iowa.He went on to be a part of 10 Lakers championships and 16 Western Conference titles.”Lawrence Tanter has been an integral part of the Lakers gameday experience for more than four decades, setting the tone for countless memorable moments with his professionalism, energy and signature booming voice,” Lakers acting governor Jeanie Buss said in June when Tanter was shifting to an advisory role. “Since the 1980s, LT has narrated every chapter of Lakers basketball, connecting generations of fans, players, coaches and staff while becoming a trusted and unforgettable part of the Lakers experience. I am incredibly grateful for everything he has given to this franchise.”Jason Barquero, the PA announcer for the Lakers’ G League affiliate, finished last season in Tanter’s absence. The team has yet to name a successor for Tanter for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
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