Story by Rowan Kavner
PLAYA VISTA, Calif. – Any fan of the Clippers knows him well. Soon, anyone strolling down the Hollywood Walk of Fame will know Ralph Lawler’s name.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and Walk of Fame Selection Committee announced the members of the Walk of Fame’s Class of 2016, which includes Lawler, the legendary “Voice of the Clippers,” who will have a star alongside the most prominent names in entertainment.
“It’s a very, very special honor,” Lawler said. “Truly humbling. It’s really exciting. I think it’s great for the ball club. My whole family and I are very much appreciative of it.”
He knew his name had been submitted as a nominee during the season, but it wasn’t until Monday afternoon that Lawler found out his name would be etched among the all-time greats in entertainment.
Lawler said he always dreamed of calling professional basketball games for a living. In the late ‘70s, that became a reality he never let go. After 36 years as the “Voice of the Clippers” and 39 years in professional basketball, the play-by-play star has been selected to get honored with an actual star.
“When I got this job in 1978, I said to myself, ‘This is the last job I want to have,’” Lawler said. “I was a young man at the time. That was an absolute firm conviction on my part that there’s nothing else on Earth I’d rather be doing than broadcasting Clippers games. That endured through a year where we won 13 (games) and lost 69.
“I’ve enjoyed every single minute of the ride, and some of those dips in the road have made what’s happened here the last three years or so all the more rewarding. I don’t think this Hollywood Walk of Fame thing would’ve or could’ve happened if it weren’t for the fact that this ball club has just remade itself.”
Lawler called Monday “quite the afternoon” and the highlight of the offseason for him and his family. Getting his name on a star in Hollywood is thrilling in itself, but it’s made even more special by the fact that he’ll join legendary Los Angeles sports broadcasters Chick Hearn, Vin Scully and Bob Miller on the Walk of Fame.
“I’ve known all those guys since I came to LA, and in Chick’s case since I was a kid in Peoria, Illinois,” Lawler said. “It’s very, very special…I’m even thrilled that it’s in the radio category. I’m probably better known now as a TV guy, but my roots are radio and I’ll always think of myself as being a radio guy. I’m thrilled that it’ll be emblazoned that way for many, many years to come.”
Lawler’s the only name in radio being honored with a star in the Class of 2016. He’ll be joined by a multitude of celebrities in a class that also includes Bradley Cooper, Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Hart, Michael Keaton, Steve Carell, Rob Lowe, Kurt Russell, Ashley Judd, Toshiro Mifune, Kathy Bates, Tracy Morgan, Allison Janney, David Duchovny, Debra Messing, Roma Downey, Barbara Bain, Gary Sinise, William S. Paley, Adam Levine, Bruno Mars, LL Cool J, Cyndi Lauper, Shirley Caesar, Joseph B. “Joe” Smith, Itzhak Perlman, “Mama” Cass Elliot, Angélica María and Harvey Fierstein.
Posted on NBA.com June 22, 2015
