Charlotte, NC – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today, at NBA All-Star Weekend, longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein and legendary Los Angeles Clippers announcer Ralph Lawler are the 2019 Curt Gowdy Media Award recipients.

The Curt Gowdy Media Award is named in honor of the late Curt Gowdy, a legendary sports broadcaster and former Hall of Fame Board member and President. This prestigious award is presented annually to members of the electronic and print media whose longtime efforts have made a significant contribution to the game of basketball.

For more than 30 years, Marc Stein has covered the National Basketball Association for a variety of media organizations. As a college student at Cal State – Fullerton, Stein’s first NBA assignment was covering the Los Angeles Summer League at Loyola Marymount for the Orange County Register, specifically focusing on rookies David Robinson and Vlade Divac in 1989. Upon graduation two years later, he covered Magic Johnson’s famed retirement press conference at The Forum.

As a full-time beat writer with the Los Angeles Daily News, Stein covered the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers for two seasons each, traveling with the Lakers for Magic Johnson’s comeback in 1995-1996 and the first season of the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal era in 1996-1997. In 1997, Stein transitioned to the Dallas Morning News, covering the Mavericks featuring NBA newcomer Dirk Nowitzki and eventually becoming a national NBA columnist.

In 2002, Stein joined ESPN serving as a weekly NBA correspondent. In his 15 seasons covering the NBA for ESPN, Stein took on many roles including reporter, insider and columnist on the cable network’s numerous platforms including ESPN.com, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio, NBA television specials and ESPN The Mag. Stein is now a reporter for The New York Times and has amassed a faithful Twitter following of over 1.2 million basketball fans.

Ralph Lawler has broadcast games for the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers for more than 30 years, keeping Clippers fans tuned-in for more than 2,000 broadcasts with his off-the-cuff style. Known for his quick wit and sometimes sarcastic sense of humor, Lawler currently does Clippers telecasts for Prime Ticket/FOX Sports West and KFWB 980 AM.

A native of Peoria, Illinois, Lawler was born in 1938 and played basketball until he realized his gift for gab might take him places. He got his start in radio in Peoria but established his career in Philadelphia where he worked Phillies, Flyers and 76ers games. Lawler earned Pennsylvania Sportscaster of the Year, before taking his talents west to California where he covered the San Diego Conquistadors and San Diego Chargers.

Lawler has worked alongside Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton and now does broadcasts with former Clipper Mike Smith. Lawler has been inducted into the Bradley University Sports Hall of Fame, as well as the South California Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Marc Stein and Ralph Lawler will be acknowledged for their contributions to basketball media during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement events September 5-7 in Springfield, Massachusetts – the birthplace of basketball.

Previous Curt Gowdy Media Award Winners:

Year - Print/Electronic