Stu Lantz

If you're reading this in the afternoon, it might already be official: The Lakers will announce today that Pau Gasol has signed a three-year contract extension. The sides agreed to terms late last week, but Gasol had to return home with the team and pass a physical exam before signing an extension worth up to $64.7 million, depending on NBA salary-cap figures to be determined in 2011. Gasol made the All-Star team last season and could do it again this season, averaging 17.1 points, 12.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists a game before Tuesday.

The Lakers have agreed to multiyear deals with broadcasters Bill Macdonald and Stu Lantz , making them the centerpiece of the team's move to a newly created Time Warner Cable channel next season, The Times has learned. Macdonald is in his first year as the Lakers' play-by-play announcer, and Lantz is in his 25th year as their color commentator. After a decades-long partnership with Fox Sports West and Channel 9, the Lakers begin a 20-year deal with Time Warner Cable next season.

but He's Not Jiggling Say what you will about Chick Hearn, but Paul Sunderland is doing a great job filling in. It's not easy at the last minute to sub for somebody who has been at it as long as Chick has. Nice job, Paul. I'm sure Stu Lantz appreciates your professionalism too. Herb Pedersen Valley Village

"You can say what you want," Lakers coach Mike Brown says. "You're deferring to Kobe Bryant. " "OK," Brown says. "You're rolling over. " "OK," Brown says. "You better be careful about not upsetting him. " And Brown laughs. "I think this is a players' league and I don't care if you're Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich or whoever. Your best player has to allow you to coach him. "Right now Kobe Bryant allows me to coach him," Brown says. "And I don't have any problem saying that.

The officials did not have the advantage that Chick Hearn, Stu Lantz and the television audience had: We saw the Laker brawl from three different angles, replayed about a half-dozen times. The officials' call of the fight was totally out of line. Stuart Gray went on a one-man rampage and should have been the only player ejected. In this case, the officials would have made a much better call if they had viewed the television coverage. Granted, basketball is probably much too fast-moving for TV replays to settle most questionable calls; but in a drastic case, such as Gray's outburst, the officials need the eyes of TV cameras.

Former Laker Stu Lantz will be Chick Hearn's color commentator on Laker broadcasts next season, the team said Wednesday. Lantz, 41, replaced Keith Erickson, who left to become president of Sports Fantasies, Inc. Lantz played in the National Basketball Assn. for nine years, 1968 through '76. He began his career with the San Diego Rockets and also played for the Detroit Pistons and the New Orleans Jazz before joining the Lakers.

"You can say what you want," Lakers coach Mike Brown says. "You're deferring to Kobe Bryant. " "OK," Brown says. "You're rolling over. " "OK," Brown says. "You better be careful about not upsetting him. " And Brown laughs. "I think this is a players' league and I don't care if you're Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich or whoever. Your best player has to allow you to coach him. "Right now Kobe Bryant allows me to coach him," Brown says. "And I don't have any problem saying that.

The issue of whether Chick Hearn should stay with the Lakers or retire is probably moot. Broadcasters who have made as big a mark on their sport as have star players--and Hearn is in this category--are more or less allowed to exit when they decide it's time. When I first began broadcasting some 30 years ago, Chick was an idol, and I was just as mesmerized by his rapid-fire patter and "Chickisms" as everybody else was. But over the years, the act grew a bit stale and Hearn's occasionally grating personality took its toll.

Asked this week to recall some of his memories of Chick Hearn, Stu Lantz said, "Gee, I wish I could call Chick. He's the one with the great memory. He's the one with all the great stories." But Lantz, who spent 15 seasons as Hearn's broadcast partner and travel companion, was able to remember a few. "You know how people will set an alarm in a hotel room, then check out and never turn it off," he said.

The rain ended just in time, perhaps knowing it could never stop Chick Hearn in his days as a Lakers broadcaster, so why cause an issue at the unveiling of his bronze statue Tuesday outside Staples Center. The man who once called 3,338 consecutive Lakers games — getting there every time despite rain, snow or otherwise — is shown sitting at a table while wearing a headset, looking like he's midsentence while calling a game. A chair next to him remains open, allowing fans to take photographs in it. Hearn's widow, Marge, was the first to sit in the chair after the 45-minute ceremony in front of a crowd of about 500. She kissed her right hand and then placed it gently on the cheek of her husband's statue.

The Lakers announced Tuesday that Bill Macdonald and John Ireland will be the play-by-play announcers for the team for the 2011-12 season. Macdonald will call the games on TV alongside commentator Stu Lantz on FS West and KCAL 9. Ireland, who had been the Lakers' sideline reporter on KCAL 9 since the 2002-03 season, will call the games on 710 AM ESPN radio alongside commentator Mychal Thompson . Spero Dedes ...

Reporting from Oakland Stu Lantz is staying. The longtime color commentator for televised Lakers games is expected to return for a 25th season, multiple NBA and entertainment officials said Wednesday. Lantz's broadcast partner since 2005, Joel Meyers , will not be back after this season. Meyers will be done after the first round of the playoffs. Neither FS West nor KCAL has broadcast rights past that point. Spero Dedes , 32, will be the third TV voice of the Lakers since Chick Hearn died in August 2002.

The rain ended just in time, perhaps knowing it could never stop Chick Hearn in his days as a Lakers broadcaster, so why cause an issue at the unveiling of his bronze statue Tuesday outside Staples Center. The man who once called 3,338 consecutive Lakers games — getting there every time despite rain, snow or otherwise — is shown sitting at a table while wearing a headset, looking like he's midsentence while calling a game. A chair next to him remains open, allowing fans to take photographs in it. Hearn's widow, Marge, was the first to sit in the chair after the 45-minute ceremony in front of a crowd of about 500. She kissed her right hand and then placed it gently on the cheek of her husband's statue.

If you're reading this in the afternoon, it might already be official: The Lakers will announce today that Pau Gasol has signed a three-year contract extension. The sides agreed to terms late last week, but Gasol had to return home with the team and pass a physical exam before signing an extension worth up to $64.7 million, depending on NBA salary-cap figures to be determined in 2011. Gasol made the All-Star team last season and could do it again this season, averaging 17.1 points, 12.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists a game before Tuesday.

Asked this week to recall some of his memories of Chick Hearn, Stu Lantz said, "Gee, I wish I could call Chick. He's the one with the great memory. He's the one with all the great stories." But Lantz, who spent 15 seasons as Hearn's broadcast partner and travel companion, was able to remember a few. "You know how people will set an alarm in a hotel room, then check out and never turn it off," he said.

The issue of whether Chick Hearn should stay with the Lakers or retire is probably moot. Broadcasters who have made as big a mark on their sport as have star players--and Hearn is in this category--are more or less allowed to exit when they decide it's time. When I first began broadcasting some 30 years ago, Chick was an idol, and I was just as mesmerized by his rapid-fire patter and "Chickisms" as everybody else was. But over the years, the act grew a bit stale and Hearn's occasionally grating personality took its toll.

Something new in this space this week is the inclusion of cable ratings in the "What Los Angeles Is Watching" box. Cable ratings may seem pretty minuscule, even keeping in mind that only 63% of L.A.'s television households are wired for cable. But that doesn't fully explain the disparity for the Lakers' series-clinching victory over Seattle on Tuesday night. Channel 9 got a 16.1 rating with a 22 share, compared to 3.5/5 for TNT. That's about 2.4 million viewers for Channel 9, 525,000 for TNT.

To Rick Cipes of L.A., who says it's time for Chickie to hang it up [Viewpoint, Jan. 26], I say this: Chick Hearn on his worst day is still so far better and more entertaining than anyone else at their best that it isn't even worth discussing. The fridge is closed! Steve Smith San Gabriel I know that Chick makes his mistakes and even I get miffed, but even on his worst day Chick is at the top of his class. I am an adept golfer, but I am no Tiger Woods and Paul Sunderland is no Chick Hearn.

It was a little bit after 5 p.m. Two hours before the sellout crowd at Staples Center stood and cheered for half a minute and waved cutouts with his face on them. Long before the eggs were coolin' or the jello was jigglin', the butterflies were fluttering and the lozenge was settling. Chick Hearn was anxious about Tuesday night's broadcast of the Lakers-Utah game. Imagine that. The man has called play-by-play for Laker games since 1961. But he had not sat behind the microphone since Dec. 16. One hundred thirteen days, a heart surgery, a hip replacement, and 56 days later, he was at it again.

To Rick Cipes of L.A., who says it's time for Chickie to hang it up [Viewpoint, Jan. 26], I say this: Chick Hearn on his worst day is still so far better and more entertaining than anyone else at their best that it isn't even worth discussing. The fridge is closed! Steve Smith San Gabriel I know that Chick makes his mistakes and even I get miffed, but even on his worst day Chick is at the top of his class. I am an adept golfer, but I am no Tiger Woods and Paul Sunderland is no Chick Hearn.