SCOTTSDALE, AZ—After a lifetime spent defining the sound of basketball in America, Roman Sullivan, the original voice of the NBA buzzer, passed away at the age of 83, sources confirmed Thursday. “Today, we mourn a longtime member of the NBA family. You always knew it was either the half or end of a game when you heard Mr. Sullivan’s deafening scream echo across the arena,” said commissioner Adam Silver of the NBA legend, who was employed as the live buzzer at Minneapolis Lakers games before recording the low, continuous humming in 1962 for use in arenas across the country. “Today’s generation of buzzer voices grew up imitating and wanting to be Mr. Sullivan, you can still hear his influence every time a quarter ends. Whether it was during Michael Jordan’s iconic game winner in 1993, or countless other buzzer-beaters, Roman’s voice is etched in NBA history.” Silver also apologized for the NBA relying on Sullivan for decades but only paying $150 for use of his iconic voice.

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