On The Clock
Stu Lantz

Stu Lantz was born and raised in Uniontown PA, and was a star basketball player at Uniontown High. Lantz was the centerpiece of the 1964 PA State champs. He earned first team all-state honors in his senior year. Lantz went on the University of Nebraska, graduating in 1968. Later, he played professionally for the NBA's San Diego, Houston, Los Angeles and Detroit franchises.

Immediately following his playing days, Lantz embarked on a broadcasting career, serving as a commentator for the San Diego Clippers, San Diego State University, CBS and the NBA Radio Network. Lantz joined his current team, the Los Angeles Lakers, prior to the 1987-88 season.

Lantz is now in his 16th season as the color commentator for the Lakers' radio and television broadcasts. He has received numerous awards including being chosen Southern California's best radio commentator in five of the last six years by the Southern California Sports Broadcaster's Association. In the season in which he didn't earn best radio commentator honors (2000), Lantz was named best television commentator.

PSR's George Von Benko recently put Stu Lantz on the clock.

PSR: You developed your basketball talent on the playgrounds and at Uniontown High School under Abe Everhart, what was that era like?

SL: That was the spot that really started everything for me and I just about lived on the playgrounds. Uniontown was a powerhouse back in those days. It's funny how that works, everything pretty much works in cycles, but we were in a pretty good cycle at that time. Ron Sepic was back there then and the Yates brothers, Ben Gregory and the list just goes on and on.

PSR: You went to college at Nebraska, not a basketball power. How did that come about?

SL: Well, Ben Gregory and I had been together through junior high and high school and we wanted to go to the same college. He was being recruited by the football program at Nebraska and when they came right after the football season ended, we happened to have a basketball game that night. They stayed and watched the basketball game and saw me and went back and reported and the rest became history. I wasn't going to college for the sport itself; I was going to college for the education. I had no aspirations at all of playing professional basketball. I was looking to get a free education, so that I would be able to get out of college and be able to get a good job.

PSR: Looking back at your pro career, was it satisfying?

SL: Well, obviously I would have liked to have done more, but a back injury, which eventually forced my retirement caused me to alter things just a bit, but overall I'd say I'm pretty happy with what happened, although it really would have been nice as a player to have been on a championship team.

PSR: What was it like working with the legendary Chick Hearn?

SL: It was the pinnacle of your career. You're talking about working with the absolute best in the business; there is no other basketball play-by-play announcer that can even compare to Chick. Obviously of late people understand that, he's the only announcer to get into the main wing of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he was already in the announcer's hall of fame, now he's in the main wing as a contributor to the great game. It was so, so much fun to work with him.

PSR: Can the Lakers win the title again?

SL: Absolutely, the key has always been Shaquille; he's the guy that basically drives the ship along with Kobe. At the start of the season he was out with the toe surgery and then he got back and wasn't in the greatest of shape. He's starting to round into form now and he's got that look in his eye again. That's what happens when the playoffs roll around, so barring some injuries I really do think that they will get number four.