Meet the LA 79-year-old that loves to shout “Bingo!” No, not that kind of bingo.

By Myan Patel

In the never-ending change that is Los Angeles and especially the Clippers’ franchise, there’s been one unflinching constant over the last four decades–Ralph Lawler.

Lawler is 79 years old, and he’s in the midst of his 37th season as the TV “Voice of the Clippers.” He’s also the third-longest-tenured team broadcaster in the NBA. But, with all of the ever-growing talent in the broadcast industry, what has kept Lawler as a four-decade staple in the nation’s №2 media market?

For starters, Lawler brings the intangibles to the call. He’s an experienced play-by-play guy and one of only a few announcers that’s been a team voice in all four major sports. His stories and connections with some of the game’s greats are things that can’t be taught or learned. For example, Lawler was the Clippers’ announcer when Doc Rivers had his short stint with the team. Now, Lawler is still there, sitting courtside for nearly every game, and Rivers is the head coach. Oh yeah, Rivers’ kid is on the team now too.

Maybe it’s Lawler’s emphatic calls that keep him around. The classic Lawlerisms include “Bingo!” and “Fasten your seat belts!” among others. Now, Lawler is the last Los Angeles broadcaster of his generation still on the LA air, but he has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.

In the past, Lawler has landed in some controversy, albeit a small amount. Back in 2015, Lawler could be heard slurring his words in the first half during an all-LA matchup. The Clippers later went on and blamed it on the flu.

Also, back in 2009, Lawler and analyst Michael Smith were suspended for a game because of backlash regarding insensitive remarks about Hamed Haddidi. Still, the Clippers have shown that they are committed to keeping Lawler and his old-school tactic of calling games into just a microphone without a headset.

He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and some Emmy awards, but those accolades take a back seat to the dream that he lives out every day. As for the team? Well, it’ll be a tight race to try and make the playoffs. Or as Lawler would say, “Fasten your seatbelt! We’re going down to the wire.”