Forum Blue and Gold

I grew up in Southern California, where basketball was more than just a sport—it was part of the soundtrack of life. And for me, that soundtrack was voiced by one man: Chick Hearn. From the time I was six years old, I listened to Chick on both the radio and television, calling Los Angeles Lakers games with a style that was his and his alone.

Chick didn’t just describe the game; he painted it. His “word’s-eye view” kept you glued to the broadcast, whether you were watching on TV or driving home with the AM signal crackling in your car. He could make a blowout thrilling, a nail-biter unbearable, and if the Lakers were playing badly—well, he let you know, in no uncertain terms.

The Colors Were Never Purple

To Chick, the Lakers never wore purple. They wore Forum Blue and Gold.

This wasn’t just poetic flair—it came from former Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke, who built The Forum in Inglewood. Cooke disliked the word “purple” but loved the color, so when he bought the Lakers in 1965, he changed the team’s colors from royal/light blue to a rich purple—rebranded as Forum Blue—paired with gold. Chick made the phrase his own, using it on broadcasts for years, even after the team officially went back to calling it “purple” in the early 1980s.

A Career Like No Other

Francis Dayle “Chick” Hearn (Nov. 27, 1916 – Aug. 5, 2002) was the Lakers’ play-by-play voice for 41 years and served as assistant general manager for seven of them.

He called 3,338 consecutive Lakers games from November 21, 1965, until December 16, 2001—a streak that only ended because of heart bypass surgery. His return to the booth in April 2002 was met with a standing ovation at Staples Center, and just months later, he called his final game: the Lakers’ sweep of the New Jersey Nets in the 2002 NBA Finals.

Chick was the first broadcaster ever inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and his fast-paced, staccato delivery—packed with colorful “Chickisms”—became part of basketball’s vocabulary.

Chickisms: The Language of Lakers Basketball

Chick didn’t just call games; he created a basketball dictionary. Terms like slam dunk, air ball, no harm, no foul, and garbage time are now standard basketball lingo thanks to him. But there were dozens more that belonged entirely to Chick’s world:

This game’s in the refrigerator: the door’s closed, the lights are out, the eggs are cooling, the butter’s getting hard, and the Jell-O’s jigglin’! – His signature call when the Lakers had the game wrapped up.
Matador Defense – When a defender waved an opponent right to the hoop.
Popcorn Machine – When a player was faked so badly, they were sent out of the play entirely.
He’s got ice water in his veins – For the player who hit the clutch shot under pressure.
They couldn’t throw a pea into the ocean – When the Lakers’ shooting was ice cold.

And my personal favorite—when a player made a real bad play: The mustard is off the hot dog!

The Voice of the Forum

Chick’s broadcasts were simulcast on TV and radio, meaning fans could watch the action while also getting radio-quality play-by-play. This was especially magical for radio listeners—without video, Chick’s precision made it feel like you were sitting courtside.

He worked alongside color commentators like “Hot” Rod Hundley, Pat Riley, Keith Erickson, and Stu Lantz, often playfully dominating the airwaves with his non-stop descriptions. As Erickson once joked at a ceremony honoring Chick: “Not being able to talk for eight years, I thought this was a great opportunity to share a bit.”

More Than a Broadcaster

Chick was formal and respectful, always referring to team owners as Mr. Cooke or Dr. Jerry Buss. He had nicknames for players that fans still remember: Big Game James (Worthy), Cap (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Nick the Quick (Van Exel), and The Magic Man (Magic Johnson).

But more than anything, he was the voice that connected generations of Lakers fans. His calls became part of our memories—whether we were listening in our living rooms, in the car, or with a radio pressed to our ear in the cheap seats at The Forum.

The Legacy Lives On

Chick Hearn wasn’t just a Lakers broadcaster—he was Lakers basketball for more than four decades. His voice called some of the greatest moments in NBA history, and his words live on in the language of the sport.

For me, “Forum Blue and Gold” will always be more than colors. It’s the sound of Chick Hearn’s voice, the rhythm of his play-by-play, and the joy of growing up with a Lakers legend as my guide.