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Longtime public address announcer David Courtney died on Thursday, leaving a hole in the game night experience for a number of teams in the Los Angeles area. Courtney, 54, was the voice for the Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Los Angeles Clippers.
The cause of death is unknown.
Both the Kings and the Angels released statements following the news of Courtney's death.
"The Angels family is deeply saddened to hear of David's passing," the Angels wrote in a press release. "He was a gentle soul, a consummate professional and an unforgettable voice tied to several professional Southern California sports teams. Over the past 18 years, his love, dedication and passion for the Angels was evident every time his voice rang through the ballpark. Our thoughts and prayers go out to David's family at this difficult time."
"In the arena he was an institution - he was the voice of the Kings - and his work added so much to the live, in-game experience for our fans as it did for the Clippers and Angels as well. Next season would have been David' 35th year with our franchise, and on behalf of the entire Kings organization and AEG we are incredibly saddened by this news and we send our deepest condolences to his wife Janet and the rest of the Courtney family."
Courtney began his career as a PR assistant with the Kings in 1971, when he was only 14 years old. He worked under PA announcer John Ramsay, and worked in the Houston market before returning to Los Angeles. While he's been with the Clippers since 2008, Courtney worked for the Kings for 22 seasons and the Angels for 19. He has also worked for a number of Los Angeles radio stations including AM 710 KSPN, AM 830 KLAA and KOLA 99.9 FM.
Courtney's last tweet said he was in the hospital waiting on an angiogram.