Lakers name new television and radio announcers
Bill Macdonald, John Ireland
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—Bill Macdonald was named today as the Los Angeles Lakers television play-by-play announcer and John Ireland as their radio play-by-play announcer.
Macdonald replaces Joel Meyers, who had been with the Lakers for eight seasons, including the past six as the television play-by-play announcer.
Ireland replaces Spero Dedes, the Lakers radio play-by-play announcer for the past six seasons.
Macdonald has worked for the Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket regional cable networks since 1985 in a variety of capacities, including as a Lakers fill-in play-by-play announcer for Kobe Bryant's team-record 81-point game in 2006.
Ireland spent the past nine seasons as the sideline reporter on the Lakers KCAL-TV Channel 9 telecasts.
Stu Lantz will return as the television color commentator while Mychal Thompson will return as the radio color commentator. The Lakers Spanish-language announcing team of Fernando Gonzalez and Jose "Pepe'' Mantilla, will also return.
I try to be objective in my commentary. OK, I’m lying. I’m very subjective in my commentary.
That’s what editorialists do, they editorialize. There’s only one way to see it—their way.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—In a game decried by TV commentators as an embarrassment to NBA basketball, to the Los Angeles Lakers and to coach Phil Jackson, the Lakers were blown out of the Western Conference semifinals by the Dallas Mavericks, 122-86.
Lakers center Andrew Bynum and forward Lamar Odom were ejected for deliberate fouls in the fourth quarter of the game at Dallas' American Airlines Center. Bynum bludgeoned Mavericks guard J.J. Barea with his elbow, then quickly stripped off his jersey at midcourt as he headed to the locker room.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The Los Angeles Lakers have hired Mike D’Antoni to succeed Mike Brown as coach of the team.
D’Antoni, who coached the New York Knicks for the last four seasons and the Phoenix Suns for five seasons before that, agreed to a three-year deal with a team option for a fourth season. The Los Angeles Times put the value of the deal at $12 million.
The NBA lockout was finally resolved two weeks ago, ending our “basketball jones” depression.
Even though college basketball has been “poppin’,” we still need our daily dose of funks, dunks, shakes and bakes that comes with professional basketball. So now the NBA is back and commissioner David Stern hasn’t cut us any slack, as the talent of the league has sought to test their value in the market before the 66-game season starts.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown will likely be the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA franchise confirmed today.
"In response to rampant speculation and reports about our head coaching position and Mike Brown, we've met with Mike and are very impressed with him,'' according to a statement issued by the Lakers. "In addition, we have an outline for an agreement in place and hope to sign a contract within the next few days.''
