The news left the Lakers saddened and reflective as they stomached the loss of a significant part of their rich history.
Marge Hearn, the widow of former Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn, died on Saturday night at age 98 of what the Lakers described as natural causes.
“We are very sad at the passing of our beloved Marge Hearn,” Lakers president Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “We consider ourselves blessed and fortunate, however, to have had her be a part of the Lakers family for six decades. She was truly the First Lady of the Lakers, sitting alongside her husband, the Voice of the Lakers, Chick Hearn.