I don't know, I lost my birth certificate. He smiled when asked if 80 was an accurate guess. The California Deprtment of Motor Vehicles lists Hearn's age as 81. Hearn, however, says he doesn't plan to retire any time soon. And when Hearn does leave, the Lakers will have a huge void.
Players can be difficult to replace.
This one guy is going to be unbelievably difficult to replace. West was a rookie when Hearn broadcast his first Lakers game, in the 1961 playoffs. Among other players on that team were Elgin Baylor, Rod Hundley, Frank Selvy and Ray Felix. Hearn said he thought for many years that Baylor was the best player he'd ever seen. Hearn said he has had many highlights, but perhaps his favorite moment was when Magic Johnson hit a baby sky hook at the buzzer to beat the Celtics in game 4 of the 1987 finals.