Jim Lampley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Lampley
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Lampley (right) in New York in 2010
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| Born | April 8, 1949 |
| Alma mater | University of North Carolina |
| Occupation | Television journalist |
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Notable credit(s)
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HBO World Championship Boxing anchor and co-host (1988–2018) Olympic Games reporter and anchor (1984–2008) |
| Spouse(s) |
Bree Walker
(m. 1990–1999)
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| Children | 4 |
James "Jim" Lampley (born April 8, 1949) is a famous American sportscaster, news anchor, and film producer. He is best known as the voice of HBO World Championship Boxing for 30 years. As a "blow-by-blow" announcer, he described the action as it happened during boxing matches.
Lampley also set a record by covering 14 different Olympic Games for American television. His last Olympics coverage was the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jim Lampley was born in Hendersonville, North Carolina. When he was five years old, his father passed away. His mother encouraged him to get involved in sports. After sixth grade, his family moved to Miami, Florida.
In 1971, Lampley graduated from the University of North Carolina. He studied English and later earned a master's degree in Radio, Television, and Motion Pictures from the same university.
A Career in Television
Lampley's career in television has taken him to some of the biggest networks in the United States. He has worked for ABC, CBS, and NBC, covering a wide variety of sports.
Working at ABC Sports
In 1974, ABC Sports held a "talent hunt" to find new announcers. Lampley was chosen because the network thought his youthful look would appeal to college-aged viewers.
At ABC, he covered many different sports. These included Major League Baseball, college basketball, and the Indianapolis 500 car race. He also worked on the popular show Wide World of Sports.
From 1983 to 1985, he was the studio host for ABC's coverage of the United States Football League (USFL). This league featured future football legends like Herschel Walker and Steve Young.
Moving to CBS and NBC
In 1987, Lampley moved to the CBS network. He became a co-anchor for a daily news show in Los Angeles. During this time, he also started working for HBO, where he began his famous career covering boxing and the Wimbledon Championships for tennis.
In 1992, Lampley joined NBC. He covered the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. For a short time, he also hosted the studio show for The NFL on NBC and did play-by-play for NFL games.
The Voice of HBO Boxing
Many sports fans know Jim Lampley best for his work on HBO World Championship Boxing. From 1988 to 2018, he was the main announcer for HBO's boxing events.
He was the voice behind some of the most famous moments in boxing history. One of these was when James "Buster" Douglas pulled off a huge upset by defeating Mike Tyson. Another was when George Foreman made a surprising comeback to win the heavyweight title at age 45. Lampley's excited call, "It happened... IT HAPPENED!" became an iconic moment in sports broadcasting.
Lampley also hosted a special series called Legendary Nights. The show looked back at 12 of the most memorable fights that HBO had broadcast over 30 years. Later, he hosted his own boxing news show, The Fight Game with Jim Lampley.
Covering the Olympic Games
Lampley has a special place in the history of the Olympic Games. He has covered 14 different Olympics, more than any other American broadcaster. Here is a list of the Games he worked at:
- 1976 Winter Olympics (for ABC)
- 1976 Summer Olympics (for ABC)
- 1980 Winter Olympics (for ABC)
- 1984 Winter Olympics (for ABC)
- 1984 Summer Olympics (for ABC)
- 1992 Winter Olympics (for KCBS-TV)
- 1992 Summer Olympics (for NBC)
- 1996 Summer Olympics (for NBC)
- 1998 Winter Olympics (for TNT)
- 2000 Summer Olympics (for MSNBC)
- 2002 Winter Olympics (for MSNBC and CNBC)
- 2004 Summer Olympics (for NBC and USA Network)
- 2006 Winter Olympics (for NBC)
- 2008 Summer Olympics (for NBC)
Awards and Recognition
Lampley has received many awards for his work in broadcasting.
- In 1992, he won the Sam Taub Award for his excellent work in boxing journalism.
- He earned three Emmy awards for his work on the HBO show Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.
- In 2015, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, one of the highest honors in the sport.
Life Outside of Broadcasting
Movies and Television
Besides being an announcer, Lampley has also worked in the film industry. His production company has produced several movies and documentaries.
He has also appeared as himself in many movies, especially those about boxing. These include Rocky Balboa, Southpaw, and Creed. He also had small roles in comedy films like Blades of Glory and Balls of Fury.
Personal Life
Lampley was married to news anchor Bree Walker from 1990 to 1999, and they have a son.
He and his current wife, Debra, live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Together, they have a large family with seven children and nine grandchildren. One of his daughters, Brooke Lampley, is a top executive at the famous auction house Sotheby's.
