Gus Johnson Talks About Jimmer Fredette, Being Gus Johnson

by Brad Cohen | 6:28 pm, March 24th, 2011

CBS announcer Gus Johnson did an interview with Jim Rome today and he was his usual happy-and-excited self, the Sweet 16 and being Gus Johnson.

As you might guess, Johnson is “pumped up” about seeing Jimmer Fredette play for the first time when he announces the BYU-Florida game in tonight’s Sweet 16 matchup. And basketball fans are excited to tune in to see everybody’s newest favorite announcer provide the sound for everybody’s favorite Jimmer.

Rome asked Johnson whether he had anything special for Fredette “locked and loaded yet.” The announcer said he’s been thinking about it, but prefers his words to come organically. Talking about the process of coming up with what he says in games, he said:

“I don’t like to write a whole bunch of stuff down. … I just want it to come out. I think the most important part is to match the rhythm and the sound of the game.”

Johnson also talked about his recent “cold blooded” call when Isaiah Thomas hit a jumper at the buzzer to earn a Pac 10 championship for the Washington Huskies:

“That’s actually Jim Durham‘s phrase, the great announcer for the Dallas Mavericks for many years. … It was just a cold-blooded play: ‘Nothing phases me. Nothing rattles me. I’m going to win this game for my team and I did.”

If nothing else, the interview made it clear that Johnson loves basketball. He spoke eloquently and passionately about the game he announces, and how he fits into it:

“I don’t want to be the story, to be honest. I want to be a part of the story. I want to be a part of this piece—this beautiful piece, which is a combination of the coaches and the players, and the sound of the game and the rhythm of the game, and then my voice being a part of that musical piece that lays on top, and it’s able to accentuate crescendo moments…”

Listen to the full interview below: