LOS ANGELES, – APRIL 09: Staples Center is illuminated in blue lights during the coronavirus pandemic on April 09, 2020 in Los Angeles, United States. Landmarks and buildings across the nation are displaying blue lights to show support for health care workers and first responders on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Lawrence Tanter’s voice remains a part of Lakers games as a rare piece of normalcy in Orlando.
There are many traditions missing from the NBA bubble, beyond just the fans in the stands. The Lakers have done something incredible to remedy those missing ingredients, through the work of public address announcer Lawrence Tanter.
In a story from ESPN, the Lakers approached Tanter about using his voice for the team’s introductions throughout the bubble, and he gladly agreed to do it.
I hope it gives them a little degree of home cookin’, man, … I mean, we live in an era now where things are a lot different than they were 20 years ago with technology, etc. And the fact that I was able to do it and for them to transfer it and put it into a computer down there is pretty cool.
It’s been working too, with Lakers guard Danny Green saying that he felt like Tanter was really there in what should be an extra piece of comfort for the West’s top team.
With each team taking a different approach to creating a home-court atmosphere, the Lakers used Tanter, the 70-year-old PA announcer who has been serenading Staples Center since 1981. He recorded multiple different introductions that have been utilized depending on the team’s circumstances, with each adding to his legacy in a year unlike any other.
A PA announcer is one of the many ways teams have attempted to add some normalcy to the bubble.
The NBA has done an impressive job of bringing entertainment to the bubble. There has been piped-in music and crowd noise, while some teams have included pre-recorded fan footage. Iconic faces such as Lil’ Wayne and Jayson Tatum’s son, Deuce, have graced the virtual stands.
No matter how hard the NBA tries, it will be difficult to make the Orlando bubble feel like home, but having a familiar voice rumble throughout the empty arena is the right way to get a game started for the Los Angeles Lakers.
