Sunday, March 27, 2011

My favorite NBA PA Announcer - Lawrence Tanter of the L.A. Lakers




I've posted in the past about Lawrence Tanter, the PA for the Lakers, one of the most classy, dignified, and respected arena announcers in the country. Then again, he really has no competition because most of the other NBA announcers do nothing but scream, cheerlead, and, cause tinnitus. Listen to Mike Biamonte of the Heat for example, a man who, by the time he gets finished screaming out the elongated ear splitting name of the Miami player who just scored, the visiting team has just sunk a basket at the other end of the court. Maybe it's my age demographic, I just can't stand being yelled at, especially by someone who is so guilty of the kind self-aggrandizing attitude Biamonte exhibits in South Florida. That said, below is a preview of a story from The L.A. Times, featuring Mr. Tanter entitled: "Lawrence Tanter sets the tone for the Lakers, and jazz station"

Lawrence Tanter has been the Lakers' public address announcer for 28 years, and over that time you've probably heard him croon "Koooo-Beeee Bryant" or "Laker Girrrrrrls" hundreds of times. As the gold standard of NBA stadium announcers, he introduces the teams, then keeps you up on developments during the game. Simple, right? Not so much. His job involves reading hand signals from the scorekeeper and making sense of NBA refs. Try it some time. It's like serving tea at a bar brawl.

read the full story by Chris Erskine click here

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