SALT LAKE CITY — The Lakers still have over five months to wait before they revamp their roster with a coveted draft pick or a free agency acquisition.
But the franchise has already made moves to ensure continuity on their flagship cable station, Time Warner Cable Access SportsNet. The Lakers signed the team’s television play-by-play announcer Bill Macdonald to a three-year extension, according to league sources familiar with the situation. The Lakers also anticipate finalizing an extension soon with television color analyst Stu Lantz.
Bleacher Report first reported this development.
Macdonald is in his fourth season as the Lakers’ television play-by-play announcer, his arrival at TWC Access SportsNet preceding his various radio and television broadcast duties both with play-by-play and pre and post-game shows with the Lakers, Angels and Ducks on Fox Sports West. The four-time local EMMY winner had called play-by-play for UCLA men’s basketball and football and the Los Angeles Avenders. Macdonald also called Kobe Bryant’s career-high 81-point game performance on Jan. 22, 2006 against the Toronto Raptors on Staples Center.
Lantz is in his 28th season with the Lakers, 15 of those years working with noted former Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn. The Southern California Sports Broadcaster’s Association voted Lantz as the best radio color commentator in Southern California six times and the best television color commentator seven times. He also won seven local EMMY awards in the Best Live Sports Telecast category.
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