Other Hall of Fame

Known for decades around the world as the voice of the Los Angeles Lakers, Peorians remember him as the voice of Bradley basketball for radio station WEEK. Chick Hearn broadcast the Braves’ games for six seasons in the late 1940s and early '50s, during one of Bradley University's greatest eras. Peoria fans soon grew accustomed to Hearnisms: such as "world's eye view," "caught with his hand in the cookie jar," and "dribble drive."

In 1956, Hearn left Peoria for Los Angeles and CBS where he did play-by-play for UCLA and University of Southern California. in 1961, he began calling Lakers games and became a broadcasting institution. For his exciting and colorful commentary, Hearn became as beloved as some of the top players like Kareen Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant. Most of his Lakers games were broadcast simultaneously on radio and television, a rare double. From 1965-2001, he called 3,338 games in a row, ending the streak to have cardiac surgery. His final game was in 2002, when the Lakers won another NBA championship.

A native of Aurora, Hearn began his radio career there and had a reputation as a pretty fair basketball player himself, before enrolling at Bradley and embarking upon a broadcasting career in Peoria.