August 5, 2002, Northridge, Los Angeles, California, United States
Spouse
Marge Jeffers
Mark
Witty quips during basketball game
Fact
Coined the terms "slam dunk", "air ball" and "no harm, no foul".
Chick Hearn was an American sportscaster. He was born in 1916 in Aurora, Illinois. His parents were John and Margaret Hearn. He had four siblings: two brothers and two sisters. Chick Hearn was educated at East Aurora High School and Bradley University. He began his career in broadcasting in 1939, working for a radio station in Peoria, Illinois.
He then moved to Los Angeles, where he worked for several radio and television stations. Chick Hearn began working for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1961, and he became the team’s play-by-play announcer in 1965. He held this position until his death in 2002. Chick Hearn was also the play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Rams from 1973 to 1979. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.
Chick Hearn was married to Marge Hearn. They had four children: two sons and two daughters. Chick Hearn died in 2002 at the age of 85.
General Info
Full Name
Chick Hearn
Died
August 5, 2002, Northridge, Los Angeles, California, United States
Profession
Actor, Sports commentator, Radio personality
Education
Bradley University
Nationality
American
Family
Spouse
Marge Jeffers
Children
Samantha Hearn, Gary Hearn
Accomplishments
Movies
Big Business, Sport Goofy in Soccermania, The Gambler, The Love Bug
When basketball game is in bag: This game is in the refrigerator, the door's closed, the light's out, the eggs are cooling, the butter's getting hard and the Jello's jiggling.
Facts
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Fact
1
Following his death, he was interred next to his children, Gary Hearn and Samantha Hearn, at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
2
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio at 6755 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on September 24, 1986.
3
Recipient of the Curt Gowdy Award (awarded to members of the electronic and print media for outstanding contributions to basketball by the Basketball Hall of Fame) in 1992.
4
Inducted into the National Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.
5
Received his nickname while, as an amateur basketball player, he was handed a box of sneakers only to be surprised to find a chick inside.
6
Coined the terms "slam dunk", "air ball" and "no harm, no foul".
7
Would jokingly claim to have lost his birth certificate whenever he was asked how old he was.
8
Hearn began his career covering Bradley University (which he attended), and the Peoria Caterpillars basketball team. He moved to Los Angeles in 1956 to announce football and basketball games for the University of Southern California. He was hosting a popular daily radio sports show when the Lakers, who had moved from Minneapolis in 1960, asked him to join their new broadcast team during the 1961 NBA playoffs.
9
His widow, Marge Jeffers, was his high school sweetheart.
10
His son, Gary Hearn, died of a drug overdose on June 1, 1972. His daughter, Samantha Hearn, died of pneumonia May 24, 1991, brought on by anorexia.
11
Had only missed two Laker games, both times due to poor weather.
