stint as a San Diego Clippers general manager and hired Lawler in 1978) and long-time Los Angeles-area sports talk show host, before he died in 2003; and Los Angeles Lakers voice, Chick Hearn, who like Lawler, grew up in Illinois before moving on to Southern California. Lawler and former Clippers guard Shaun Livingston are alumni of Peoria (Central) High School. Lawler had previously worked on Clippers telecasts on Prime Ticket/Fox Sports West alongside former Clipper player and former color analyst, Mike Smith, over 15 seasons from 2002 to 2017. He worked alongside former San Antonio Spurs player Bruce Bowen, during the 2017/18 season. Unlike other announcers who use headsets while calling the game, Lawler relies exclusively on a handheld microphone during games. His reasoning for it is because he feels he has "much more control over the microphone by holding it." He also added "I've been doing it so long that if I wear a headset, I don't know what to do with my hands." Lawler and his wife, Jo, have three grown children and seven grandchildren. On March 3, 2016, Lawler was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Clippers coach Doc Rivers and several players attended the ceremony. On September 12, 2018, Lawler announced he would retire at the end of the 2018–19 season. He has missed only three games in his 40-year career. On February 15, 2019, Lawler was named the 2019 winner of the Curt Gowdy Media Award for electronic media by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Quotes Bingo!: when a player makes a three-point basket. The "Bingo" term derives from one-time Clipper and Cleveland Cavalier player Bobby "Bingo" Smith, who hit 22 threes for the San Diego Clippers in the three point shot's inaugural 1979–1980 season. Bank Shot Bingo: The rare three-point basket off the backboard elicits this enthusiastic "Lawlerism." ...Plus One: A scoring play and a foul resulting in one free-throw. Lawler's Law: The first team to 100 points wins the game. Lawler's Law Corollary: The team that shoots 50% in field goal percentage wins the game. Lawler's Overtime Law: The first team to lead by four points in overtime wins the game. Fasten your seat belts, gang. We're going down to the wire!: It refers to when a close game is coming down to final minutes (or seconds). The phrase originates from Lawler's desire to emulate Hank Fisher,