SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KGTV) — Legendary sportscaster Jim Lampley, best known as the voice of HBO World Championship Boxing for three decades, has written a new book chronicling his pioneering career in sports broadcasting.
I sat down with Lampley, who is in town for a book signing event in La Jolla, to discuss his groundbreaking career and new memoir titled "It Happened."
"September 7, 1974, Knoxville, Tennessee -- UCLA vs. Tennessee -- that was the first time anybody ever appeared at a football game on a sideline with a microphone. Now, of course, it's a stock item. It's in every telecast you see," Lampley said.
Lampley's career quickly accelerated after this innovation, leading to high-profile assignments covering the Olympics and filling in for Jim McKay as host of ABC's Wide World of Sports.
But his career path took an unexpected turn when network politics intervened.
"Then an executive arrived and wanted to get rid of me and forced me out, and he forced me out by assigning me to boxing. And immediately upon leaving ABC I got an offer from the most prestigious television network in the world, HBO," Lampley said.
That twist of fate led to Lampley becoming the iconic voice of boxing from 1988 until HBO World Championship Boxing concluded its run in 2018.
Lampley's memoir title reflects his perspective on his remarkable journey in broadcasting.
"Well I think I have the right title. 'It Happened,' which suggests that things are coincidental, unexpected, in some ways, spontaneous, somewhat unpredictable," Lampley said.
Despite his reputation for smooth delivery and professionalism, Lampley admits there were moments of vulnerability throughout his career.
"Look at the very first opening on camera in Tokyo at Tyson-Tubbs and my hands shook on the camera," Lampley said.
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