Wendy Sherman: “We are here to honor a man who epitomized the spirit, the unity, and the joy of life, of living in southern California…”

“We are here to honor a man who epitomized the spirit, the unity, and the joy of life, of living in southern California, a man who was the best reason to buy a transistor radio, perhaps the best reason to live in southern California, and perhaps the best reason to be an NBA fan. We knew how much he meant to us, but we did not fully know until he died last August 5. He had broadcast 3,338 consecutive games between November 1965 and December 2001. Not only did he broadcast those consecutive games, but his total number of games called reached 3,362. In addition to broadcasting those Lakers games, he also broadcast NCAA basketball and football games, NFL football games, UNLV basketball, and the first Ali-Frazier fight. He won two Emmy awards, three Golden Mike awards, two National Sportscaster of the Year awards, seven California Sportscaster of the Year awards, and a star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame. He was also inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame and the American sportscasters Hall of Fame. No one in this country I think influenced the poetry of basketball to the extent of Chick Hearn.”