NBA: Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers
Nov 13, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General overall view of the Los Angeles Lakers logo at midcourt of the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Credit: USA TODAY Sports (Reuters)
Lawrence Tanter, the Los Angeles Lakers public address announcer whose smooth baritone voice filled The Forum and Crypto.com Arena for 43 NBA seasons, has died at 76, the team announced Wednesday night.
“We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of legendary Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter,” the team wrote on social media. “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.”
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Lawrence Tanter’s Lakers career and retirement
Lawrence Tanter, forever in our hearts as a member of the Lakers family 💜 pic.twitter.com/IOmRECqu8m
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 24, 2026
The Chicago native took over as the Lakers’ public address announcer at the start of the 1982-83 season. His tenure covered 10 NBA championships and 16 Western Conference titles.
His run stretched from the Showtime teams of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar through the LeBron James era.
Tanter’s final season ended early. He suffered a stroke in March and missed the Lakers’ last six home games and the playoffs. Jason Barquero, the public address announcer for the Lakers’ G League affiliate, filled in.
The Lakers announced his retirement in June and named him a special adviser for game presentation. The team didn’t give a cause of death.
“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,” Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said at the time.
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What were Lawrence Tanter’s famous calls?
Kobe Bryant Mural - Lawrence Tanter, legendary voice of the Lakers, dies at 76
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Tanter also spent decades as a jazz disc jockey in Los Angeles. He brought that cool, steady style to the arena.
Fans knew him for a stretched-out “Koooobe Bryant,” his “twooo minutes” warning late in quarters and “too many steps” after a traveling call.
When Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006, Tanter told fans to save their ticket stubs from a “historic night at Staples Center.”
Days after Bryant died in a helicopter crash in 2020, the 6-foot-7 announcer introduced each of the Lakers’ five starters as Bryant before a home game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
“Number 24, 6’6, 20th campaign from Lower Merion High School…” pic.twitter.com/H314wWufA2
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 1, 2020
When James became the first player to score 50,000 combined regular-season and playoff points in 2025, Tanter told the crowd, “Ladies and gentlemen, we all have just witnessed history.”
Lakers figures pay tribute to Tanter
Former Lakers center Mychal Thompson wrote on X, “I hope the team wears an LT patch this season.”
Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, a longtime Lakers fan, shared on X. “He was a great vibe dude, always engaged me in conversation about jazz, he was a music lover and the best announcer in the NBA. I realized when attending many other NBA arenas that no one else came close.”
Dwight Howard and Matt Barnes, who both played for Los Angeles, also responded on Instagram. Howard wrote “Rest easy,” and Barnes posted two heart emojis.
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