The Los Angeles Lakers announced on Wednesday that their former broadcaster, Tommy Hawkins, passed away at the age of 80.

The team's controlling owner and CEO, Jeanie Buss, issued a statement on behalf of the organization, via their official website, Lakers.com, where she expressed sadness over losing one of the great broadcasters in their franchise's history.

“We are saddened to hear the news regarding Tommy Hawkins. He was and will always be part of the Lakers family. He was a member of the Lakers when the team moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles and he made LA his home. Tommy not only contributed as a player but also as a sports executive and broadcaster. His baritone voice and easy demeanor made him a favorite of the fans and media as well as everyone who had the honor of calling him a friend. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Hawkins family.”

Hawkins started his playing career in his hometown of Chicago, as he starred for Parker High School, where he became their first African-American basketball star. His impressive performances rewarded him with a scholarship at the University of Notre Dame, and was part of their basketball team. He then declared for the NBA Draft back in 1959 and was selected third overall. The 6-foot-5 guard played 10 seasons in the league where he recorded 6,672 career points and 4,607 career rebounds. He has career averages of 8.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.

Following his productive professional career, he became one of the most respected sports broadcasters in Los Angeles, and covered games for the Lakers, and even the Dodgers, where he also served as their vice president of communications back in the 1970s.

He will forever be remembered for his energetic ways during broadcasts — always giving his ever-valuable insights about the games, whether it may be basketball or baseball.