HEARN CRITICAL AFTER SURGERY LEGENDARY CAREER PROBABLY IS OVER.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

NORTHRIDGE - Chick Hearn, the voice of the Los Angeles Lakers, was in critical but stable condition Saturday after two surgeries for head injuries suffered in a fall, and his surgeon said that, even if he recovers, the legendary broadcaster has likely called his last game.

The outlook for Hearn is ``not good,'' said Dr. Asher Taban outside Northridge Hospital Medical Center following a second surgery within 12 hours for Hearn, 85.

``Age is an important factor here,'' Taban said. ``Trauma is not well tolerated in this population.''

Even if Hearn recovers much of his functioning, ``he will likely have difficulty speaking,'' Taban said. ``Unfortunately, it's probable'' that Hearn's career as the Lakers announcer is over, he said.

Jeanie Buss, daughter of Lakers owner Jerry Buss and executive vice president of business operations, said she couldn't envision the broadcast booth if Hearn were not to return.

``I'm not ready to let go and consider that possibility,'' Buss said. ``He's the voice of the Lakers, and I can't imagine that being anything different.''

Hearn was admitted to the hospital just before 8 p.m. Friday after he fell on the concrete patio of his Encino home. His wife, Marge, asked neighbors to call 911.

At the hospital, doctors discovered bleeding inside Hearn's skull, on top of his brain.

``He was not breathing adequately,'' Taban said. ``His condition appeared to be very serious.''

Doctors undertook a 2 1/2-hour surgery to remove a clot shortly before midnight Friday.

About 9:30 a.m. Saturday, his condition began to deteriorate and another blood clot was found, this time, inside the left side of his brain. Another surgery to stop the bleeding was performed.

The bleeding apparently was caused by blood thinners that Hearn had been taking since undergoing heart surgery late last year, Taban said.

Taban was uncertain what caused Hearn's fall and whether a stroke was to blame. But he noted that Hearn is 6 feet 4 inches tall and that a fall backward from that height onto concrete was dangerous.

``He sustained a serious injury,'' Taban said.

No further surgery was expected, but because Hearn was so deeply sedated, the extent of damage to his brain and his functioning was not yet clear, Taban said.

``We have done everything we can at this point,'' Taban said at a news conference following the second operation.

Taban said Hearn's wife has been at the hospital since her husband was first admitted Friday.

``Marge is holding up well,'' Taban said. ``She is very gracious.'' Hearn and his wife were expecting to celebrate their 64th wedding anniversary on Aug. 13.

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said the organization's energies would be devoted to helping Hearn get well and ``through this tough time.''

``Our prayers and thoughts are with him and Marge,'' Kupchak said.

Hearn had only returned to the press box in April after missing missing four months because of heart-valve replacement and a broken hip.

Hearn was in his 42nd season as the team's main play-by-play man and had missed only two games prior to the start of his streak of 3,338 consecutive contests spanning 36 years.

Hearn, whose real first name is Francis, was born and raised in Aurora, Ill., and attended Bradley University in Peoria. He earned the nickname ``Chick'' when, as a college basketball player, Hearn was handed a box of sneakers and instead found a chicken inside.

After serving in the Philippines during World War II, Hearn landed his first radio job, at WMRO in Aurora, earning $47 a week reading the weather, news and sports.

In 1950, Hearn began announcing Bradley basketball games, and, in 1956, he was hired by CBS radio to cover University of Southern California football and basketball games. He quickly developed a love affair with Southern California sports fans.

When the Lakers moved to Los Angeles from Minneapolis in 1960, the team had difficulty putting fans in the seats in the first season. Team owner Bob Short thought radio play-by-play of the game might drum up interest, so he hired Hearn and sent him to St. Louis to announce the fifth game of the Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and the Hawks. The Lakers won, and when they returned to the Sports Arena, 15,000 fans and a then-record gate of $55,000 welcomed them back for Game Six.

Hearn is credited with creating most of the interest.

Staff writers Ryan Oliver and Howard Beck contributed to this report.

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Photo:

Chick Hearn was in fine form in June during downtown L.A.'s victory parade marking the Lakers' third consecutive NBA title.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer