Chick Hearn

Francis Dayle "Chick" Hearn (27 November 1916 - 5 August 2002) was an American sportscaster. Known primarily as the longtime play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, Hearn is remembered for coining the phrases "slam dunk", "air ball", and "no harm, no foul"; and for broadcasting 3,338 consecutive Lakers games starting in 1965. Of note is that most of the games in the television era were simulcast on both radio and television, even after most teams chose to use different announcers for the different media.

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Hearn grew up in Aurora, Illinois near Chicago and attended Bradley University where he earned the nickname "Chick" while an AAU basketball player. One day he was given what appeared to be a shoe box but instead contained a dead chicken.

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On May 9, 1991 Hearn became the third broadcaster to be inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1995 he was voted to be the twentieth member of the American Sportscaster Hall of Fame by his fellow sportscasters.

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Hearn's streak of 3,338 consecutive Lakers games came to an end midway through the 2001-02 season when he underwent cardiac bypass surgery. Hearn recovered from his illness and resumed broadcasting that season, receiving a standing ovation fron the Staples Center crowd upon his return. His final game was Game 4 of the 2002 NBA Finals where the Lakers Defeated the New Jersey Nets to win their third consecutive NBA championship. But, during the summer, Hearn suffered a stroke at his Encino, California home; he fell and was injured.

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Chick Hearn died on August 5, 2002 at the age of eighty-five and was interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. He was survived by Marge Hearn, his wife of sixty years.

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In honor of his contributions to the Los Angeles Lakers, both the Lakers and the city of Los Angeles renamed a portion of West 11th Street between Figueroa Street and Georgia Street to Chick Hearn Way. This street currently runs alongside Staples Center's main entrance.

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27 November: REDIRECT November 27...

1916: 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar)...

5 August: REDIRECT August 5...

Chick Hearn related Images and Photos (experimental)

Rock Chick	Robotic Chick	The Hot Chick	Chick Corea - Live in Montreux
Chick Corea - Live in Montreux	HOP Phil Chick Plush	HOP Carlos Chick Plush	Chick Living 2011 Mini Desk Calendar
Newborn Chick with Cracked Eggshell	Rhode Island Red Chick Gallus Domesticus USA	Penguin and Chick	Dave Grohl & Chick Corea Grammys Rehearsal 2004