Lawrence Tanter

Lawrence Tanter (born October 11, 1949) is a retired American public address announcer best known for his work for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. In addition, he was also the program director for public jazz radio station KKJZ.

Early life Tanter was born in Chicago. He played basketball in high school, as well as the saxophone and clarinet. The Lakers went on to win their 17th NBA championship.

Tanter is known for his smooth baritone voice and affinity for jazz music. For three decades, he has been a disc jockey for various jazz stations in Los Angeles, including KTWV 94.7 The Wave. Additionally, he served as the announcer for LTV, the Lakers pre/post game show on KCAL-TV, during the Lakers time with that station.

After 43 seasons, Tanter retired from his role as public address announcer for the Lakers at the conclusion of the 2025-26 NBA season, citing health issues, which caused him to miss the remaining six games of that season plus the playoffs. He remains with the Lakers as an advisor focusing on game presentation .