On Nov. 21, 1965, Chick Hearn - the Hall of Famer broadcaster - began his streak of calling 3,338 consecutive Los Angeles Lakers games, regular season and playoffs combined.
Prior to the streak, the last game he missed was because his flight had gotten canceled after calling a college football game a day earlier. The streak culminated on Dec. 16, 2001 against the Golden State Warriors, following which he underwent surgery to replace the aortic valve in his heart a couple of days later.
His career as the Lakers' play-by-play commentator spanned just over four decades - from 1961 to 2002. With time, his voice became synonymous with Laker games.
Over the course of the streak as a play-by-commentator, Hearn was paired with seven different color commentators - "Hot" Rod Hundley, Pat Riley, Keith Erickson, Dick Schad, Lynn Shackelford and Stu Lantz.
He is one of six personalities and the only non-player the Lakers have paid tribute to with a statue outside Staples Center - home of the Lakers. Inside the arena, he is one of 11 personalities and, once again, the only non-player the Lakers have honoured with a retired jersey
In 1991, he became the third broadcast ever to receive the Gowdy Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A dozen years later, he became the first-ever broadcaster to be elected to the Hall of Fame.
Other notable events on Nov. 21
- In 1990, Moses Malone became the seventh player in NBA history to cross the landmark of 25,000 points.
- In 2001, Chris Anderson became the first player to be called up from the D-League (now G League) when the Detroit Pistons called him up from the Fayetteville Patriots.
- In 2012, Roy Hibbert swatted a career-high 11 blocks against the New Orleans Hornets. He also finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds in a 115-107 win, recording the first and only triple-double of his career.
- In 2018, Vince Carter became the 22nd player in NBA history to cross 25,000 career points. He did so with a dunk in the final seconds of the game, finishing with 14 points.
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