Lawrence Tanter, Los Angeles Lakers PA announcer, retires after 43 seasons
After 43 seasons, Lawrence Tanter, known as the "Voice of the Lakers," will retire as the Los Angeles Lakers' public address announcer, the team announced on Tuesday.
While he's stepping away from the microphone, the Lakers said he will remain with the team as a special advisor for game presentation.
"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 Governor Jeanie Buss said.
A Chicago native, Tanter moved to Los Angeles and began announcing for the Lakers in 1982 as future Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, James Worthy, coach Pat Riley and others dominated the decade during the "Showtime" era. The up-tempo, run-and-gun offense made the team Hollywood stars, helped furnish The Forum with five championship banners and pushed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the top of the all-time scoring list.
"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," Buss said. "I am incredibly grateful for everything he has given to this franchise."
Tanter continued announcing for the Lakers when the "Showtime" era came to an end in the 1990s, following the team into its new home of the Staples Center. There, the championship runs continued, with Tanter in a front-row seat to Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant's march to three consecutive titles from 2000-2002.
For the next 24 years, Tanter had a courtside seat to history. He witnessed the Lakers bring two more titles to LA and called Bryant's final game in the Purple and Gold.
In 2020, he introduced each of the Lakers' five starters as Bryant, after the franchise legend and eight others, including his daughter Gigi Bryant, died in a helicopter crash.
When the world quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tanter brought a little bit of normalcy by recording game introductions for the 2020 playoffs as LeBron James and the Lakers brought home the franchise's 17th NBA championship.
Before ending his career, Tanter witnessed another Laker capture the all-time scoring record as James eclipsed Abdul-Jabbar's 38,287 points. When James became the first player to score 50,000 combined points in the regular season and postseason in 2025, Tanter delivered the apt words: "Ladies and gentlemen, we all have just witnessed history."
