National Basketball Association

Veteran PA announcer David Courtney dies

Published Nov. 30, 2012 1:23 a.m. ET

foxsports

David Courtney, the veteran public address announcer for the Los Angeles Clippers, Kings and Angels, died Thursday. He was 56.

The Clippers said he died in Los Angeles, but gave no other details. Courtney missed Wednesday night's game against Minnesota because he was in the hospital awaiting an angiogram, according to his Twitter feed.

Courtney announced Los Angeles Kings game for 24 years, including their run to the Stanley Cup championship last season, but was idled this season by the NHL lockout. He had spent the last 19 summers announcing Los Angeles Angels games.

He was the voice of All-Star games in three pro leagues, working the 2002 NHL event, baseball's 2010 event and last year's NBA All-Star game. He also worked the 1981 NBA Finals, the 1993 and 2012 Stanley Cup finals and the 2002 World Series, won by the Angels. He filled in announcing several Los Angeles Dodgers games during the season.

Courtney was in his fifth year announcing Clippers games, having served as the team's backup announcer for three previous seasons.

''Today our organization lost a good friend,'' the Clippers said in a statement. ''In his years as public address announcer for Clippers' home games, David Courtney was a consummate professional who brought a unique passion and energy to every event.''

During his career, he announced Los Angeles Rams games in their final four seasons before the team moved to St. Louis and he worked as the Houston Rockets announcer in the early 1980s and shared duties for the Houston Astros.

Courtney began working in professional sports when he was 14, starting as a public relations assistant for the Kings in 1971. Under the guidance of announcer John Ramsay, and by doing games for his Beverly Hills High School varsity football and basketball teams, he learned the job well enough to become Ramsay's backup for both the Kings and the Lakers.

In 1978, he moved to Houston as public relations director of the Houston Aeros in the World Hockey Association. When the team folded a year later, he began a career in radio and television and found himself in demand as an announcer.

When he wasn't at an arena or a ballpark, Courtney did traffic and sports updates for three Los Angeles area radio stations.

His announcing jobs led to voice roles in the movies ''Tooth Fairy,'' ''Angels in the Outfield,'' ''61(asterisk)'' and the TV show ''Home Improvement.''

Courtney is survived by wife Janet.