It Happened!

A Uniquely Lucky Life in Sports Television

De: Art Chansky, Jim Lampley

Narrado por: Jim Lampley

From Jim Lampley, HBO’s ringside face and voice of boxing, comes a first-person, blow-by-blow account of the evolution of sports television chock full of famous names, history-making events, and never-before-told stories from the world of sports.

Jim Lampley’s story is a 50-year travelogue of an unlikely career that catalogs the evolution of sports television—from his emergence as the first sideline reporter, through hosting and covering 14 Olympics, to working with all major sports networks.

It Happened! charts Jim’s notable career, with highlights including:

Becoming the first live reporter on the sideline of a nationally televised college football game

Following in the footsteps of Jim McKay as host on ABC’s Wide World of Sports and Howard Cosell as halftime host for ABC’s Monday Night Football

Partnering with ABC, CBS, NBC, Turner, and HBO

Ascending to host of HBO’s Wimbledon weekday telecasts

Reaching “icon” status as the 30-year face and voice of HBO World Championship Boxing

Learn how Jim’s brilliance as an announcer and his revolutionary nature led to innovations in sportscasting, three sports Emmys, and induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Personal anecdotes and hard-earned lessons combine as Jim digs deep and shares celebrity stories from the upper echelons of superstar athletes and Hollywood hotshots, but also offers an introspective look at his personal life and trials. It Happened! tells it all.

©2025 Jim Lampley and Art Chansky (P)2025 Recorded Books

Lampley Shines In Bio Story

I'm 53 years of age, so I'm old enough to have heard Jim do college football and various studio shows before he reinvented himself on HBO. He had several great calls, but the Foreman fight and "it happened" was his finest hour - the Bowe-Golota riot and the miraculous Chavez win over Meldrick Taylor also stand out.

Not enough about boxing

It's a good book, but not nearly enough about boxing. I enjoyed the book, but if you're going into it for stories about boxing I wouldn't recommend it.

Great Book! Great man!

What a wonderful book, not only about sports, but also the human condition. I knew of Jim Lampley from boxing and the Olympics. I always considered him a top of the line broadcaster and a great narrator in the theater of the unexpected. His book allowed me to get to know him personally. What a magnificent man? Jim lays his faults right out for us to see, something few writers ever do. Overall, he is a winner in career, personal life and his struggles through the lucky and unlucky paths of life. I loved this book and I bet you will too. Btw, listen to the Audible book. He narrates it himself.

Brought back good memories.

This is a good book. I'm glad Lamps did the narration of it also.

Great for fans of Lampley

It’s a biography moreso than a book about boxing. Fans of Jim Lampley the person/commentator will enjoy the book, but it’s not all about boxing.

Outstanding

One of the best bio/ sports audio books and Lamplys narration is the VERY BEST

A True Sports Story By The Greatest

The man has such a clear and unique talent to identify the story in an event-hearing him share his experience is such a treat. Mr Lampley reports on his highs, lows, tales of heartache, connection, failed relationships and love.., and in and around sports. Give it a listen… he reads! Wonderful

Fantastic!

As a lifelong boxing fan, having grown up watching Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant at the helm of the most relevant boxing programming in the last thirty years, this was a must-listen.

Jim Lampley does an impeccable job of narration, often infusing his detailed accounts and stories with heartfelt and genuine emotion that only his voice can convey. Jim's unflinching and, at times, self-deprecating account of his life is an entertaining and fascinating, albeit too short, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of a network personality as he maneuvers through the maze of life and career. A++

THE BEST STORYTELLER IN SPORTS!!

Being a boxing fan, it was such a wonderful experience hearing about the life of a man who for over 30 years has been part of your life while watching the largest events in sports history. No one has a better play by play voice and it truly made this audiobook that much better. 10/10 story. 10/10 narration.

Good book

Love his story and that he read the audio. If you like a good sports media story this is for you