Fasten Those Seat Belts for Another Season

Next week, in Japan, Ralph Lawler will sit down behind a microphone and begin his 25th year as the voice of the Clippers. When I hear Lawler’s name omitted from the list of great play-by-play men in this town, I am reminded of an interview in which Chick Hearn noted that the Kings’ Bob Miller had a harder job than either Hearn or Vin Scully, because Miller has had to make the Kings’ broadcasts compelling year in and year out without the benefit of championship-quality teams.

But even the Kings have been to the Stanley Cup finals and often make the playoffs. Lawler has taken one of the losingest teams in sports and given us 25 years of consistent excellence. He can make an early-season game between the Clippers and the Warriors sound like the most exciting, tension-packed place in the world, not with gimmickry or homerism but with tireless preparation, an abiding love for the game, a keen sense of humor and an unbreakable sweet spirit. Here’s to 25 more years, Ralph!

Jordan Chodorow

Los Angeles