NBA fans were treated to a special experience on Monday night when Gus Johnson was on the call for the NBA playoff game between the Philadelphia Sixers and Toronto Raptors. And while the game itself hasn’t been competitive for the most part, that hasn’t diminished how excited they were to hear Gus do lots of Gus things all evening.
It was announced over the weekend that Johnson would call NBA playoff games for TNT alongside Greg Anthony, starting with Raptors-Sixers Game 2 on Monday night. And that meant that however exciting some of these plays were going to be, Gus was going to make them much better.
While Joel Embiid and the Sixers have been in control for most of the evening, all anyone wanted to do was bask in the glory of Gus calling an NBA game, as well as wonder why this isn’t something that happens all the time.
It’s a true shame that Johnson happens to work for Fox, which means that he doesn’t get access to March Madness or much NBA basketball throughout the season. But the fact that he’s able to work some playoff games for TNT has been a boon for many viewers who love to hear his exuberant calls. Given how much money is being thrown around for broadcasters these days, coupled with the excitement that a Johnson-called game brings with it, you’d have to assume someone is going to want to make that happen sooner or later.
And hey, if we can get Gus to call a Steph Curry game, that should make for a fun discussion.
In the meantime, if you want more Gus, you’ll hear him calling Game 2 between the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.
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