04/18/24
August 05, 2002
Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn has died from injuries suffered after a fall at his home. Hearn, who began his work for the team in 1961, coined the terms "air ball," "slam dunk," "no harm, no foul," and many other Chickisms.
posted by rcade to basketball at 09:48 PM - 4 comments
Much like Dodger announcer Vin Scully, I can't even imagine a Laker game without Chick Hearn. He was one of the greats and will be sorely missed. Hearn retained a character in his announcing style that the game itself has long forgotten.
posted by eyeballkid at 11:35 PM on August 05, 2002
He was a permanent fixture in a city with few long-lived institutions. That he was able to continue broadcasting after recovering from heart valve replacement surgery and a hip fracture at the age of 85 is incredible. At least he got to see another Laker victory and how much the fans appreciated him this season.
posted by euphorb at 03:16 PM on August 06, 2002
as a lifelong Laker fan who was imprinted upon by Chick's incredible voice for nearly 20 years, this is one of my saddest days. The door will never close, the lights will never be out, the jello has stopped jiggling and the butter has stopped getting hard.
posted by ajayb at 04:40 PM on August 06, 2002
Sad day for basketball, though it couldn't be much of a surprise after several days of grim news from his doctors. Odd trivia: Hearn also had an acting career, starring in such films as The Love Bug and Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. I've seen his work in the Herbie film around 1,000 times, thanks to my kids. He was an underappreciated thespian.