Allie Clifton got the call early Monday morning.
Were you interested in replacing Lakers color analyst Stu Lantz at Spectrum SportsNet in about 60 hours?
Clifton is a veteran television journalist who has served as co-host of Spectrum SportsNet's in-studio programming since 2018. She has also had plenty of experience in a broadcast booth as a commentator.
Clifton accepted the offer and immediately began preparing for the job.
“I believe in hard work, so when I got the call at 7:30 on Monday morning, my mind certainly went into that mode,” Clifton told The Times. “It was a different type of preparation than when I'm in the studio and doing those tasks, but it's something that's not foreign to me in terms of work. “That's exactly what I do and what I'm proud of.”
When Clifton took his seat next to play-by-play announcer Bill Macdonald for the Lakers' game against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, he was going to make history.
Clifton became the first woman to call a game on a Lakers broadcast, doing so in a 138-122 road victory.
“It was a whirlwind evening in the best way possible,” said Clifton, who has called games for the Sparks and in CIF state championship games. “It was a joy. “I really had a great time and I am very, very, very grateful for the opportunity.”
The importance of what he had done was not realized until the next day.
“I was thinking about it this morning and I got really emotional,” Clifton said. “I think about the opportunity and how wonderful it was to be a part of it, you know? I would never have dreamed of being in this situation or being given a chance.
“Last night I got text messages from different people saying there are girls who now think they can do this. And that's what it's about. That's why I think I left feeling so humbled and grateful because I'm doing it for them. “I am very inspired by that and I think it is one of the most important learnings for me.”
Lantz missed the Lakers' last two games while recovering from “a routine medical procedure,” the team said. Lakers legend and Spectrum SportsNet studio analyst James Worthy filled in during the team's 125-111 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.
Lauren Lamkin, the Lakers' vice president of communications and marketing, said in an email to The Times that Lantz should return shortly after the All-Star break. But, she added, the team “would welcome the opportunity to have Allie fill in again, if necessary.”
Clifton played basketball at the University of Toledo for four seasons before becoming a sideline reporter for the triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. She then spent six years at Fox Sports Ohio as a sideline reporter for Cleveland Cavaliers games, covering LeBron James on his second season with his hometown team.
On Wednesday night, James greeted Clifton on X (formerly Twitter), writing “Super happy and proud @RealAClifton,” along with numerous applause and fire emojis.
Clifton choked up talking about James' tweet the next day.
“I was new to the profession, quite new; It was only my third year when he came back. [to the Cavaliers] and it showed me a different side of that routine,” said Clifton, who also served as an analyst on a game with the Cavaliers. “And he believed in me too, so seeing that [tweet] — I mean, he's a dear friend of mine right now. I've covered it for a decade and it's amazing, you know? “I feel very honored by that.”
