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LA Clippers Roundtable: Our Tribute to Ralph Lawler

By Garrett Chorpenning

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - OCTOBER 30: LA Clippers announcer, Ralph Lawler smiles before the LA Clippers game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 30, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - OCTOBER 30: LA Clippers announcer, Ralph Lawler smiles before the LA Clippers game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 30, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 10: DeAndre Jordan #6 of the Los Angeles Clippers celebrates after dunking and drawing a foul against Brandon Knight #7 of the Detroit Pistons at Staples Center on March 10, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 10: DeAndre Jordan #6 of the Los Angeles Clippers celebrates after dunking and drawing a foul against Brandon Knight #7 of the Detroit Pistons at Staples Center on March 10, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

What is your all-time favorite Ralph Lawler moment?

RYAN SNELLINGS: I remember getting so hyped up during the Blake Griffin dunk on Kendrick Perkins. I know he had done the Timofey Mozgov dunk years earlier, but Ralph’s enthusiasm on that play is just ingrained in my memory. “Oh me, oh my! The monster jam by Blake Griffin!” is something I can always hear in my head and will be on highlight reels for years to come.

ETHAN SMITH: I wasn’t alive at the time since I am a younger fan, but finding the footage of Ralph Lawler calling the LA Clippers first ever home playoff appearance in 1992 was something special since the riots in LA after the events of Rodney King being violently beaten by police. Game three of that series was played in Anaheim against the Jazz and it was something special to hear Ralph commentate around such a major event that impacted everyone.

SETH KIMBRELL: I will always and forever remember the joy in Ralph Lawler’s voice when DeAndre Jordan dunked the soul out of Brandon Knight. Even when he started with “the lob” you could tell that he saw something special coming. Then he explodes – along with every single living person watching – when DJ threw it down. The fact that all he could do for a bit after was laugh really put the point home.

NATHAN JACOBO: My favorite all-time Ralph Lawler call was during Blake Griffin’s rookie season, when Blake dunked on now current Clipper Danilo Gallinari. Gallo was of course a member of the New York Knicks, but the play first started off when Ryan Gomes ripped the ball away from Amar’e Stoudemire, which then led to BG spinning and jamming on Gallo. You can hear the thrill and excitement in Lawler’s tone as that play signified to me that the Clippers would have a bonafide superstar for years to come. The mic drop at the end of the dunk reminded me of something you would hear in WWE, take a listen.

GARRETT CHORPENNING: I’m surprised no one else has said it, but I’ll always remember Ralph’s call at the end of the 2015 Clippers – Spurs playoff series, when Chris Paul hit the game-winner over Tim Duncan. Since the game was on TNT I don’t think anyone really got a chance to hear it live, but I saw a video on YouTube years later that used his call of that final shot, and it brings tears to my eyes every single time. His call truly grasps the magnitude of the moment, and you can tell just how much it meant to him to shout it out loud. If you do just one thing today, I would suggest you listen to it:

That’s an unforgettable call.

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