Ralph Lawler - Life and Career

Life and Career

Lawler was born in Peoria, Illinois. His broadcasting career began in the 1960s, after graduating from Bradley University in his hometown, where he worked as an on-air personality on a Riverside, California radio station. From there, Lawler went on to work in Philadelphia, where he broadcast games for the Flyers of the National Hockey League, the 76ers of the National Basketball Association, the Phillies of Major League Baseball, Big 5 college basketball, and Temple college football. He also worked as a sports reporter for then-CBS station WCAU-TV, before returning to Southern California for good in the late 1970s, calling the San Diego Conquistadors of the American Basketball Association and the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League).

Lawler has worked with Basketball Hall of Famer and current ESPN/ABC commentator Bill Walton, on locally televised Clippers broadcasts. Their broadcasts were wildly popular among Clippers (and many NBA) fans, because of their witty banter. Walton left the Clippers to work exclusively with ABC/ESPN when the two networks acquired the NBA broadcasts in 2002. Lawler's biggest broadcasting influences included Irv Kaze, a former sports executive (who had a stint as a San Diego Clippers general manager and hired Lawler in 1978) and long-time Los Angeles-area sports talk show host, before he died in 2003; and late legendary Los Angeles Lakers voice, Chick Hearn, who like Lawler, grew up in Illinois before moving on to Southern California. Lawler and former Clippers guard Shaun Livingston are alumni of Peoria (Central) High School. Lawler currently does Clippers telecasts on Prime Ticket/Fox Sports West along side former Clipper player and current color analyst, Mike Smith.

Unlike other announcers who use headsets while calling the game, Lawler relies exclusively on a microphone during game days.

Lawler and his wife, Jo, have a family that includes 3 grown children and 7 grandchildren.