Lawrence Tanter (1949-2026)

Longtime 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.