Ralph Lawler Will Return as Voice of the Clippers

Legendary Clipper broadcaster Ralph Lawler has announced on twitter that he will continue alongside partner Michael Smith for at least two more seasons.  Lawler is famous league-wide for his "Lawler-isms", such as "Oh Me, Oh My" when a huge play happens, "Bingo!" when a three-pointer is made, "Fasten your seatbelts gang, we're going down to the wire" near the end of close games, and, of course, "Lawler's Law; First to 100 wins, it's the Law!", which is always highly true.

Lawler has broadcast almost every Clipper game since the team moved from Buffalo in 1978, and he is beloved by Clippers fans everywhere.  His banter with former partner Bill Walton and current partner Mike Smith has kept thousands of Clippers fans tuned in through countless blowouts, and more recently it's been popular among the fanbase to want the team to "win it for Ralph", giving the legend a championship before he retires.

Let's do the math on exactly how many games Lawler has broadcasted.  He reached 2,500 in February 2011.  He called 22 more games that season, 66 in the 2012 season, and 82 each in 2013, 2014, and 2015.  He's missed a night or two here or there, but as an estimate, that's 2,834 total.  The Clippers have also played 45 playoff games over that time, all of which he called on either television or radio.  With a grand estimate of 2,879 games called, Lawler would need two more seasons to reach 3,000, so these may be his last two years, with that final number being his goal.

I'm sure some of our older fans will have more to say about Lawler in the comments (some of you have been listening to him since the 70's), but especially given his health concerns earlier this season, we're all fortunate to have the chance to appreciate his talents for two more years.