Today in Sports History: November 21

By Brandon Zhu

In 1965, Chick Hearn began his streak of broadcasting consecutive Los Angeles Lakers’ games. By the end of the 2000-01 season, Hearn had broadcast 3,338 consecutive Lakers games, including preseason and playoff games. The legendary sportscaster was known for his staccato broadcasting style and coining an amazing list of iconic basketball phrases.  What used to be known as “Chickisms,” are now simply accepted basketball lingo. Colorful phrases like “charity stripe,” “picking the pocket,” “finger roll,” and “slam dunk” were all invented by Hearn. Over the course of thirty-six years, Hearn had made the Los Angeles Lakers champions nine times over. Hearn was  inducted by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1997.

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