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Videos, photos, stories: Tributes to Bob Miller pour in

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There are so many stories of our encounters with Bob Miller, and in each of them, the Kings’ Hall of Fame broadcaster comes off having exuded class and accessibility. Some of my earliest encounters were when I was five years old and my dad would sneak me into The Forum – I would pretend to be sleeping on his shoulder, and in 1986, they wouldn’t ask him for my ticket – and our first stop would be the press box, where the broadcasters would occupy the front row of the Colonnade seats at the center of the ice. I would sit on my dad’s shoulders, and every time we entered, we’d make sure to walk by Bob and wave hello to him. Even when he was in the middle of the pre-game show, he’d always wave back with a smile on his face.

So many of us have these stories, but one comes from a friend, Jeff, who I play hockey with at the LA Kings Valley Ice Center. Jeff and his wife bought a house during the 1997-98 hockey season nearby where Bob and Judy Miller also purchased a home. Having learned that Bob and Judy were in the neighborhood and after seeing them from time to time on walks, Jeff’s wife, knowing that her husband was about to turn 40, went to their house and without having met the Millers, left a note in their mailbox asking if Bob might be so kind as to call Jeff on his birthday. Bob called back one day later, and he and Judy asked them to go out to dinner. “They’re the nicest people you could ever hope to meet,” Jeff said, noting that Bob and Judy would always have time to speak with them and walk throughout the neighborhood. From there, the foursome attended a Dodgers game together, and when the Kings won the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cups, Jeff and his wife were there for Bob and Judy’s Stanley Cup parties. As recently as last week, they took a walk together through the neighborhood. This connection began when Bob responded to an unsolicited note left in his mailbox by a Kings fan.

Perhaps it is through their Midwestern disposition, and perhaps it’s just that Bob and Judy are special people, but what other public figures would respond with such a neighborly, accommodating friendliness? There are so many people who have similar stories, and the emotions shared by those who will watch his final broadcast today have been formed through the personal encounters so many of us have shared with Bob through his 44 years of accessibility to fans and his dedication to the Kings. Thank you, Bob.

And, for more of the heart strings tugs, here’s that Vin Scully tribute – plus so many more – that aired during Saturday’s final home game.

Juan Ocampo / NHLI

Aaron Poole / NHLI

Juan Ocampo / NHLI

Juan Ocampo / NHLI

Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images

Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images

Juan Ocampo / NHLI

Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images

Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images

Juan Ocampo / NHLI

Juan Ocampo / NHLI

Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images

Juan Ocampo / NHLI

Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images

Aaron Poole / NHLI

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