LOS ANGELES — Lawrence Tanter, the Lakers’ public address announcer since 1982, has retired from his role behind the microphone and will be moving into a special advisor position with the organization, the team announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Tanter’s new title with the Lakers will be “Special Advisor of Game Presentation,” where the 76-year-old will help shape the future of what the gameday experience will be like.
“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 in a press release. “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.”
Tanter, whose bellowing baritone voice has become a staple of the Lakers’ game experience for 43 seasons with his pronunciations of “Laker girlllsss” and his signature “Kobe Bryant” often with a prolonged drawl on the “e” coming after big plays from the late franchise icon, stepped away from the team on March 28 to deal with an undisclosed health matter.
Jason Baquero, who had worked as the PA announcer for the Lakers’ G League franchise, the South Bay Lakers, before it relocated from El Segundo to Coachella Valley for the upcoming season, filled in on an interim basis through the playoffs. The Lakers had not announced a replacement for Tanter as of Tuesday afternoon.
“He’s an iconic voice,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said on March 27, the first game after the Lakers announced Tanter’s absence. “There’s just, there’s like, it’s almost a comfort level with him being in this arena.”
Whereas many modern-day PA announcers have a loud, often boisterous sound to their in-game voice, Tanter remained calculated with his tone. After traveling violations, Tanter would comfortably state, not exclaim, “too many steps,” becoming a friendly voice to the ears of fans and players alike.
Tanter was as much of a fixture to the franchise as the likes of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James or Bryant. He registered a run of more than 20 consecutive years – or more than 800 games – before missing a game in 2018 after being under the weather.
Born in Chicago, he was the in-arena voice for 10 of the Lakers’ NBA titles and 16 Western Conference championships. In 2020, he recorded player introductions from his home studio that were played before the team’s run to the title in the Orlando bubble during the COVID pandemic.
Few voices, not just in Lakers history, but across the league, have shared his level of recognition.