Derrin Horton is stepping into one of the most recognizable microphones in basketball. The veteran sportscaster has been named the Los Angeles Lakers’ new public-address announcer for the 2026-27 season, taking over the role after the passing of Lawrence Tanter.
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Horton brings over three decades of broadcasting experience to the job, including work spanning multiple sports. But this is also a very personal transition, with Horton having known Tanter for years before becoming the man chosen to follow his 43-season run with the Lakers.
From his broadcasting career to his connection with Tanter, here is what to know about the man taking over the Lakers’ public-address microphone.
Meet the Lakers’ new PA announcer, Derrin Horton
The Los Angeles Lakers are turning to Derrin Horton for the 2026-27 season as the franchise begins a new chapter following Tanter’s death.
Horton arrives with more than 35 years of experience in sports broadcasting. Over the course of his career, he has worked as an anchor, reporter, host, and play-by-play announcer across local and national television.
His résumé includes coverage of some of the biggest events in American sports, including the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Final, College Football Playoff National Championship, and Final Four.
That experience gives Horton plenty of familiarity with the pressure that comes with major sporting events. The Lakers’ PA microphone, however, presents a different kind of challenge. Tanter was not simply the person announcing players and introducing moments at Crypto.com Arena. His voice had become closely associated with the franchise itself.
Horton will now have to establish his own presence while taking over a role that has been held by one person for more than four decades.
What is Derrin Horton’s broadcasting background: from KTLA to the Lakers courtside microphone?
Horton is a Los Angeles-based sportscaster and voice actor. The Syracuse University alumnus has worked as a sports anchor for KTLA and has also held broadcasting roles with ESPN and Fox Sports Net. His work has extended beyond traditional sports reporting as well, with Horton spending more than a decade as a narrator and voice for NFL Films.
That range has taken him to some of the biggest stages in sports. For the Lakers, that experience offers something important. Horton is accustomed to working in front of large audiences and handling the rhythm of live sports, even if the PA role requires a different style from television broadcasting.
Now, instead of reporting on the action, Horton will be helping create the atmosphere around it.
Inside Derrin Horton’s family background
Horton was born and raised between Washington, D.C., and New York City, spending much of his childhood in Queens.
His East Coast upbringing eventually led him to Syracuse University, where he studied at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Horton graduated with a dual degree in broadcast journalism and political philosophy.
While at Syracuse, he began developing the broadcasting skills that would eventually become his profession. He worked with student media outlets including WAER and CitrusTV, gaining early experience in sports broadcasting and reporting.
Those college years eventually became the starting point for a career that has now stretched beyond three decades.
And although Horton has spent much of his professional life in Los Angeles, his connection to New York and Syracuse remains an important part of his background.
Who is Derrin’s wife Elice Horton?
Horton married Elice (also spelled Elise) Horton in 2015.
The wedding also produced an unusual connection to the Lakers role he now holds. Lawrence Tanter, the man whose position Horton is taking over, recorded the audio introduction for Horton and Elice at their wedding reception, welcoming the newlyweds to the room.
That detail makes Horton’s appointment personal, because Tanter was not simply a predecessor Horton is following. He had a connection to Horton and his family years before the Lakers job came into the picture.
Beyond his marriage, Horton has largely kept his personal life away from the public eye. Details about his wedding, family and whether he has children have not been widely disclosed.
His professional life, meanwhile, has been much more public, with decades of work in sports broadcasting leading him to this latest chapter.
What is Derrin Horton’s net worth?
There is no reliable public figure for Horton’s current net worth or salary with the Lakers, so estimates circulating online should be treated cautiously.
Some websites place his net worth between $1 million and $5 million and offer salary estimates based on his time in local broadcasting. However, those figures have not been publicly confirmed by Horton or the Lakers.
What is clear is that Horton has spent more than 35 years working across television, sports broadcasting, and voiceover roles. His new position with the Lakers adds another high-profile chapter to that career, but the financial terms of the appointment have not been publicly disclosed.
Why does succeeding Lawrence Tanter carry so much weight?
Lawrence Tanter, affectionately known as LT, spent 43 seasons as the Lakers’ public-address announcer. His distinctive baritone became part of the soundtrack of Lakers basketball and was heard through multiple generations of the franchise.
That longevity is what makes Horton’s appointment so significant.
Tanter’s voice accompanied some of the biggest moments in Lakers history, from championship runs to the careers of legends who became synonymous with the franchise. For fans, his voice was as familiar as the sights inside the arena.
Horton therefore steps into a role that comes with an unusually long history. But he also enters it with something most successors do not have: a personal connection to the person he is replacing.
Sure, he may not be able to replicate Tanter’s voice or his 43-year history with the Lakers. Instead, Horton has the opportunity to build a new identity behind the microphone while carrying forward a role that has become part of the franchise’s game-night experience.