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Damichael Cole: The Grizzlies will have a tribute for Brandon Clarke today. “We’re going to play our hearts out for Brandon as he would want us to. Just want to try to honor him in that way.”
NBA: The NBA is deeply saddened by the passing of Naismith Hall of Famer Cliff Hagan, a five-time All-Star who spent his entire 10-year NBA career with the St. Louis Hawks. Cliff played a key role in St. Louis’ 1958 NBA championship. He also won an NCAA championship at Kentucky and later served as a player-coach in the ABA. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Cliff’s loved ones and the entire Hawks organization.
Bill Wennington on Stacey King: "I bring this up now at the beginning with the passing of Stacey. It really makes this year different and it's difficult. Even already just at media day seeing K.C. yesterday and knowing that his presence is going to be missed sorely, especially with us because he was such a big part of our family. Heartfelt condolences still to his family, especially his sons who over the years I've gotten to know well. When Stacey was a teammate and they were all our kids were little, as you know K.C. when we first met your kids are little and now you're an empty nester. It's just going to be tough without Stacey this year."
Basketball Hall of Fame: The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame mourns the passing of Bob Pettit, a sleek, skilled big man who revolutionized the forward position during his career. The 11-time NBA All-Star and 2-time MVP retired as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and left an enduring legacy. He led the St. Louis Hawks to the 1958 NBA championship over the Boston Celtics. The Basketball Hall of Fame salutes this true giant of the game.
LeBron James: REST IN PARADISE Lawrence Tanter! Loved seeing you pretty much every single home game for the past 8 years at the scores table and always acknowledging you with a 🫡 cause you deserved the 💐 while you were living! Your voice command and echoed throughout the entire arena. You made home games SPECIAL! You will be truly missed! Glad we got to share some time together my man! My heart and prayers goes to your family and loved ones! Love you LT! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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Longtime Los Angeles Lakers public-address announcer Lawrence Tanter has died, the team announced Wednesday. "We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of legendary Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter," the team wrote in a statement shared on its social media accounts. "For 43 years, LT's voice served as the soundtrack to Lakers games at the arena. He will be remembered as a cherished member of the Lakers family." In June, the 76-year-old Tanter retired from his courtside post where he had manned the microphone in L.A. since the "Showtime" days of the 1980s.
Tanter had suffered a stroke late in the regular season and missed the Lakers' last six home games, plus the playoffs. Last month, shortly before entering into hospice care, Tanter texted ESPN. "Quote me," he wrote, "'It's been a blessing.'"
The 6-foot-7 Tanter towered over many, but greeted everyone with a kind smile and warm conversation. Just as the players he serenaded with his calls became institutions in the sport, so did he. Tanter was inducted into the Southern California Sports Broadcaster Hall of Fame. “I hope the team wears an LT patch this season,” former Lakers center and current team broadcaster Mychal Thompson wrote on X on Tuesday.
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Chris Spatola, the son-in-law of former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, has died at age 47. Spatola, who played basketball at West Point, served on Krzyzewski’s staff from 2007 to 2012 before becoming a basketball analyst for ESPN and a host on Sirius/XM radio.
The Krzyzewski family, in a statement Tuesday, said: “There are no words to adequately express our heartbreak over the loss of our beloved Chris Spatola. Chris served our country, was a devoted husband and father, and was such an important part of our family. We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, thoughts, and prayers we have received during this incredibly difficult time. We respectfully ask for privacy as our entire family, particularly Jamie and her three beautiful children, grieve and process this unimaginable loss.”
Stefan Bondy: I got a chance to interview Michael Sweetney about three months ago. He was happy to take my call. Sweetney had been invited back by the Knicks to three games this season and it meant a lot to him after his playing career didn’t pan out. He also talked about his struggles with mental health when he played for the Knicks, and how, in retrospect, he would’ve benefitted from speaking up. “Looking back at it, obviously with my mental health issues, with me struggling with depression and anxiety, what I should have done was get some help, find somebody to talk to. I thought I was a man who could fight it on his own and obviously it burned me,” Sweetney said. “I went from a top-10 pick to being out of the league in four years. So it was one of those things where it sucked but it was one of those things where I wish I talked to somebody and let them know, ‘Look, I need help. I’m not okay.’” Times changed and so did the stigma of mental health problems. Sweetney noticed how the Knicks and the media supported Mitchell Robinson during the playoffs. “I’m glad it is where it is today, where people are coming out and feel comfortable talking about it. Like (Mitchell Robinson) just came out and said what he said. I don’t think during my playing time anybody would have done that,” Sweetney said. So that’s refreshing. For him, he has his teammates. You can tell they genuinely like and love each other. For him, that means a lot. So he has his teammates, his coaches, ownership, management. He has a huge support system. I’m glad he has all that. I didn’t have any of that stuff so I was kind of on an island. But I’m so glad mental health is where it is.” RIP
Yaron Weitzman: Sad news here. Former Knicks first round pick Michael Sweetney has died, according to Yeshiva University’s basketball coach (Sweetney previously worked as an assistant coach at the school)