Chick Hearn
The fast-talking voice of the Los Angeles Lakers for four decades, he invented the slang of modern basketball.
1916–2002 (age 86)·American basketball sportscaster·Birthday: November 27·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Chick Hearn didn't just call basketball games; he created a new language for them. From the press table at courtside, his staccato, machine-gun delivery became the soundtrack to the Lakers' rise from Minneapolis to their Showtime dynasty in Los Angeles. For 41 years, his voice was as essential to fans as the players on the floor, weaving a narrative of no-look passes and last-second shots with a homespun wit. He famously broadcast 3,338 consecutive games, a streak of devotion that cemented his identity with the team. Hearn's true legacy, however, is verbal: terms like 'slam dunk,' 'air ball,' and 'no harm, no foul' were born from his microphone and are now uttered on playgrounds worldwide. He was the first broadcaster inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, a testament to a man who made the radio feel like a front-row seat.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Chick was born in 1916, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1916
#1 Movie
Intolerance
Chick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1916Born
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Started school
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1929Became a teenager
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1932Could drive
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1934Could vote
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1937Turned 21
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1946Turned 30
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 40
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 50
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 60
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 70
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 80
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2002Died at 86
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
Key Achievements
- First broadcaster ever inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2003).
- Called a record 3,338 consecutive Los Angeles Lakers games from 1965 to 2001.
- Coined and popularized numerous basketball terms now in common usage, including 'slam dunk.'
- Served as the Lakers' assistant general manager from 1972 to 1979, contributing to team operations.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Chick' came from his childhood love of chasing chickens on his grandfather's farm.
He served as a radio operator in the United States Navy during World War II.
He was the original voice of the cartoon character Mr. Magoo in early television commercials.
His famous consecutive game streak ended only after he underwent heart surgery in 2001.
“This game is in the refrigerator! The door is closed, the lights are out, the eggs are cooling, the butter's getting hard, and the Jell-O is jiggling!”
