Lawrence Tanter, longtime Los Angeles Lakers public-address announcer, dies at 76
Longtime Los Angeles Lakers public-address announcer Lawrence Tanter has died at the age of 76, the team announced Wednesday.
In a post on social media, the team said, “We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of legendary Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter. 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.”
According to ESPN, the announcer retired from his courtside post in June, where he had “manned the microphone in L.A. since the ‘Showtime’ days of the 1980s.”
Tanter suffered a stroke late in the regular season and missed the Lakers’ last six home games. He also missed the playoffs.
The tenured announcer entered hospice care last month, ESPN continued.
Officials said Tanter was the longest-tenured PA announcer in the Lakers’ history, being a part of 10 Lakers championships and 16 Western Conference titles.
Jason Barquero, the PA announcer for the Lakers’ G League affiliate, finished last season in Tanter’s absence.
The team has yet to name a successor to Tanter for the upcoming 2026-27 season.