Lawrence Tanter’s voice became part of the soundtrack of Lakers basketball long before a young Klay Thompson ever dreamed of becoming an NBA star. The legendary public address announcer’s death at 76 has now prompted memories from across the franchise, including one from a former Lakers champion whose connection to Tanter stretches across generations.
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It’s none other than Klay’s father, Mychal Thompson. For him, Tanter wasn’t just a PA announcer, but he was part of the Lakers family.
Thompson took to X after the Lakers announced Tanter’s passing on September 23, remembering the conversations they shared before games in the Chick Hearn media room.
“1 of my joys in working for OUR Lakers was talking with Lawrence Tanter in the Chick Hearn media room before games…He LOVED the Lakers and their Fans…Even VISITING players respected and admired him…Maybe God’ll use LTs voice to announce new arrivals to Heaven…”
Mychal Thompson also posted another message directed at the Lakers: “I hope the team wears an LT patch this season…”
Tanter joined the Lakers in 1982 and spent 43 seasons as their PA announcer, working from the Showtime era through the Kobe Bryant years and into the LeBron James and Luka Doncic era. During that span, the team won 10 rings, while his smooth, flawless announcements became an integral part of the viewing experience.
He was also inducted into the Southern California Sports Broadcaster Hall of Fame.
After a steady, uninterrupted fanfare for over 4 decades, a stroke in March had forced him away from the microphone. And in June, the Lakers officially announced that Lawrence Tanter stepped away from his game-day announcing duties.
Just as fans came to terms with his retirement, the announcement of his passing came as a shocker.
Mychal Thompson knew about Tanter’s legendary stint from both sides of the arena. He joined the Lakers during the 1986-87 season and helped them win back-to-back championships in 1987 and 1988. After retiring from the NBA, he returned to LA as a Lakers radio analyst in 2003.
First, he heard Lawrence Tanter’s voice as a player, and then he eventually became a colleague. As he mentioned in his post, the duo regularly spent time together before games.
That relationship also extended into the Thompson family. Klay, Mychel, and Trayce grew up around their father’s Lakers career and broadcasting work. It gave them an early introduction to the organization.
Klay eventually built his own NBA legacy with the Warriors, but LA remained part of his upbringing.
That makes Mychal’s tribute more than a former player remembering a voice. It is a championship Laker recalling a colleague, while also remembering someone who was part of the environment his sons knew growing up around the franchise.
Moreover, many trade rumors speculated that Klay would join the Lakers this offseason. But in a shocking turn of events, he left Dallas for Miami on a two-year, $11.5 million deal. Either way, the Thompson family’s ties with the Lakers has its own legacy.
It wasn’t just Mychal Thompson; many Lakers legends expressed their condolences on Lawrence Tanter’s passing. Especially Thompson’s former teammate, Magic Johnson, wrote a lengthy, emotional post, pouring out his emotions for the legendary announcer.
Tanter’s legacy is difficult to measure through statistics alone. He carried his unique style, moving away from the usual top-of-the-voice screaming and hyped announcing.
For Mychal, those memories were personal enough to prompt a request that the Lakers honor Tanter publicly. The proposed ‘LT patch’ would give the franchise a visible tribute to someone whose voice had already become inseparable from its history.
Tanter is gone, and the microphone he held for 43 seasons is now silent.