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Bill Macdonald is an American professional sportscaster who is currently the TV play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Spectrum SportsNet alongside color commentator Stu Lantz.
Macdonald joined the network, then called Prime Ticket, at its inception in 1985. He has also worked for Fox Sports West/Prime Ticket [1] [2] In the past, Macdonald has hosted the following pre-game and in-game shows:
He is also the former host of the Los Angeles Kings' pregame show Break the Ice and calls play-by-play for Los Angeles Avengers Arena Football, UCLA college football and basketball for FSN Prime Ticket. He has also been the host of FSN's Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament coverage at the Staples Center for the past several years. For the past three years, Macdonald has hosted the UCLA Press Conference Show, with Matt Stevens in 2005 and 2006, and James Washington in 2007. Macdonald called the game (January 22, 2006) in which Kobe Bryant scored 81 points, the second-highest total in NBA history.[ citation needed ] He filled in for the play-by-play analyst at the time, Joel Meyers, who had another broadcasting commitment that day. [3] When Meyers left the Lakers at the end of the 2010–2011 season due to the team not renewing his contract, the Lakers hired Macdonald to replace him. Macdonald has been the team's play-by-play voice full-time since the 2011–2012 season.
Macdonald has three sons, two of which are identical twins, and resides in Newport Beach.[ citation needed ]
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The Lakers play their home games at Crypto.com Arena, an arena they share with the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA with 17 championships, the second most in the league behind the Boston Celtics.
Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the sport's greatest and most influential players of all time, Bryant won five NBA championships and was an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP. He ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. Bryant was posthumously voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is the annual all-star game hosted every February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's star players. Since 2022, it was held on the third Sunday of February, the same day that the Daytona 500 was held, and one week after the Super Bowl. It is the featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend, a three-day event which goes from Friday to Sunday. The All-Star Game was first played at the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951.
Crypto.com Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in downtown Los Angeles. Opened on October 17, 1999, as the Staples Center, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street, and has since been considered a part of L.A. Live. Owned and operated by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), it is the home venue of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL)—which are both owned in part by AEG's founder Philip Anschutz, as well as the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks.
The 2002 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s championship series for the 2001–02 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers, and the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets. The Lakers swept the Nets, four games to none, to win the franchise's 14th NBA championship and third consecutive NBA championship. The 56th edition of the championship series was played between June 5 and 12 and was broadcast on NBC — the last NBA games broadcast on the network to date. Lakers coach Phil Jackson won his ninth ring, tying him with Red Auerbach for most all-time. During the series, he surpassed Pat Riley for most career playoffs wins with 156. Shaquille O'Neal of the Lakers was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the third consecutive year, after dominant performances averaging 36.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game.
The 2000 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1999–2000 season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers 4 games to 2. The series was played under a best-of-seven format, with the Lakers holding home court advantage. The series featured the number one seeds from both conferences. Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the series, his first of three consecutive honors, in arguably one of the greatest NBA Finals performances in history, putting up 38.0 points, 16.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game.
The Shaq–Kobe feud was the conflict between National Basketball Association (NBA) players Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, who played together for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996–2004.
Joel Meyers is an American sportscaster who is the play-by-play announcer of the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also is the lead host of "Above the Rim", which airs weekdays from 10 am to 1 pm ET on SiriusXM NBA Radio. He is also the preseason play-by-play announcer for the New Orleans Saints.
FanDuel Sports Network West is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, a joint venture between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios, and operated as part of FanDuel Sports Network, along with its sister network FanDuel Sports Network SoCal. The channel broadcasts regional coverage of professional and collegiate sports events in California, focusing primarily on teams based in the Greater Los Angeles area. FanDuel Sports Network West is available on cable providers throughout Southern California, the Las Vegas Valley and Hawaii; it is also available nationwide on satellite via DirecTV.
The 2007–08 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 60th season of the franchise, 59th in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 48th in Los Angeles. During the offseason, the Lakers re-signed point guard Derek Fisher. The Lakers celebrated their 60th anniversary, thus the Laker jerseys wore the 60th anniversary patches on the leftmost part. They finished the regular season with 57 wins, finishing with the most wins in the tightest conference race in NBA history. The Lakers clinched the top seed in the playoffs for the 29th time in franchise history. This 15-game turnaround from the prior season has been attributed to the progress of the team's bench players and the mid-season trade for Pau Gasol. The Lakers sold out all 41 home games for the season. After 12 seasons in the NBA, Kobe Bryant was named the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player for the first and only time in his career. The Lakers had the third best team offensive rating and the fifth best team defensive rating in the NBA.
FanDuel Sports Network SoCal is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, a joint venture between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios, and operated as part of FanDuel Sports Network, along with its sister network FanDuel Sports Network West. The channel broadcasts regional coverage of professional and collegiate sports events in California, focusing primarily on teams based in the Greater Los Angeles area. Bally Sports SoCal is available on cable providers throughout Southern California, the Las Vegas Valley and Hawaii; it is also available nationwide on satellite via DirecTV.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Lakers' 52nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 40th season in Los Angeles. It was also the Lakers first season playing in their new arena, the Staples Center, becoming co-tenants with their crosstown rival, the Los Angeles Clippers. During the off-season, the team re-acquired former Lakers forward A.C. Green from the Dallas Mavericks, and signed free agents Ron Harper, Brian Shaw and John Salley. Green won two championships with the Lakers in the 1980s, and Salley won three championships with the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls. More significantly, the Lakers hired former Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who would go on to help the team win five NBA championships over the course of the next 12 years.
The 2003–04 NBA season was the Lakers' 56th season in the National Basketball Association and 44th in the city of Los Angeles.
The 2008–09 Los Angeles Lakers season was the franchise's 61st season, 60th in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 49th in Los Angeles. Coming off an appearance in the 2008 NBA Finals, the Lakers won their division for the 31st time and appeared in the NBA Finals for the 30th time. With 65 wins, they tied the 1986–87 team for the third most wins in franchise history, the most since 1999–2000, and improved on their 2007–08 record by eight wins. The Lakers sold out all 41 home games for the season, led the NBA in money earned from overall ticket sales, and had the 5th highest increase in gate receipts from the previous season. The Lakers had the third best team offensive rating in the NBA.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Pacers' 24th season in the National Basketball Association, and 33rd season as a franchise. It was also their first season playing at the Conseco Fieldhouse. During the off-season, the Pacers acquired top draft pick and high school star Jonathan Bender from the Toronto Raptors, and acquired rookie center Jeff Foster from the Golden State Warriors. The Pacers played around .500 with a 7–7 start to the season, but then won 15 of their next 17 games, and held a 32–16 record at the All-Star break. The team finished first place in the Central Division with a 56–26 record, highlighted by a franchise-best 25-game winning streak at home, which was worthy of the Eastern Conference first seed in the playoffs, guaranteed home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time in franchise history, and an all-time franchise best win–loss record.
The 2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 62nd season of the franchise, 61st in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 50th in Los Angeles. During the offseason, the Lakers signed free agent and former defensive player of the year forward Ron Artest. Coming off from winning their fifteenth championship in the NBA Finals defeating the Orlando Magic in five games, the Lakers successfully defended their title. They spent the most money of any team on player salaries that season, totaling $112.7 million. The Lakers once again sold out all 41 home games for the season at Staples Center.
The 2010–11 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 63rd season of the franchise, 62nd in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 51st in Los Angeles. As both the three-time defending Western Conference Champions and the two-time defending NBA Champions, the Lakers attempted their third "three-peat" in franchise history (1952–54) and (2000–02), but were swept by the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semi-finals. The Lakers marked the end of an era for head coach Phil Jackson, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March 2011. He proceeded to announce his retirement as head coach after the playoffs. The Lakers once again sold out all 41 home games for the season at Staples Center.
Lindsay Rhodes, previously known as Lindsay Soto, is an American sportscaster, journalist, and television personality who was a host and reporter for the NFL Network.
Michael Eaves is an American sportscaster. He serves as an anchor for ESPN's SportsCenter and was a co-host of NBA Countdown for shows preceding NBA Wednesday. He began working at ESPN in 2015.
Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, also known as Gigi Bryant and Mambacita, was an American student-athlete and the daughter of former professional basketball player Kobe Bryant. Together with her father and seven others, she died in a helicopter crash in 2020 at age 13.
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