Ralph Lawler
Ralph Lawler is entering his 38th year as the “Voice of the Clippers” and his 40th year in professional basketball as he looks ahead to the 2016-17 Clipper season with a level of excitement and anticipation that he has never before experienced. The last four years weren’t bad in bringing previously unmatched thrills to Clipper fans as the trio of Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan made the Clips one of the league's most entertaining and successful teams. Ralph has loved being reunited with Doc Rivers who became the first former Clipper player to serve as the team’s head coach when he assumed the coaching reigns in 2013. Doc’s Championship coaching credentials give this team its best shot ever of competing for their first NBA Championship. Lawler is the third longest tenured team broadcaster in the league, but he’s never been filed with the confidence he feels heading into the second season of owner Steve Ballmer's energetic stewardship of the franchise.
Ralph’s long tenure with the club saw him top 2800 Clipper regular season and playoff broadcasts last season with his enthusiastic calls of "Bingo!," "Fasten your Seat-belts" and "Oh Me Oh My" continuing to be favorites for Clippers fans throughout Southern California. Lawler's active schedule has him handling play-by-play duties for all televised Clipper games on PRIME TICKET as well as on the Clipper's flagship radio station AM 570 LA Sports for all non-televised contests.
Lawler's long list of honors was added to this past summer when it was announced that he would be receiving a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during the coming season. He also collected his third EMMY as a part of Prime Ticket’s Emmy Award Winning coverage of Clipper Basketball in 2013 and a coveted Telly Award for his Clipper TV work in 2014. Additionally, he is a member of the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Ralph's NBA memories are many: he warmly recalls that he broadcast the NBA debuts of 3 of his all-time favorites: Julius Erving (with 76ers in Philadelphia), Magic Johnson (versus the Clippers in San Diego) and Blake Griffin (with the Clippers). The NBA has long been his great Love. However, the versatile broadcaster is one of only a handful of announcers who have worked play-by-play in each of the four major U.S. Sports Leagues: NFL (Chargers), MLB (Phillies), NHL (Flyers) and NBA (76ers & Clippers).
His resume also includes broadcasting events as varied as A.B.A. and college basketball, golf, tennis, track & field, pro box lacrosse, auto racing, boxing and college football. Ralph is a graduate of Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, and was inducted into his alma mater’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. He’s another in a long line of sportscasters who honed their craft in Peoria including Chick Hearn, Tom Kelly, Bob Starr, Bill King and Jack Brickhouse, among others.
Ralph spends his off-season keeping tabs on all matters involving the NBA and communicates with Clipper fans regularly via Facebook and Twitter. Notable off-season activities have included a week aboard the SS Norway as the radio host of an NBA Cruise of the Caribbean, an 18-day whitewater rafting trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon with former broadcast partner Bill Walton, an appearance in the movie "Drive", a full month in Italy with family in 2013 and service one year as the play-by-play voice for one of Nintendo’s “NBA Courtside” video games.
Ralph and his wife, Jo, proudly head a family that includes three grown children and seven grandchildren. The Lawlers spend the season in Marina Del Rey and their summers in Bend, Oregon. Fans can follow Ralph on Twitter: @ohmeomy or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ralphlawler.