Thursday, 07 May 2026

Johnny Most

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Commentators 2026
City of Boston Archives from West Roxbury, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sport(s): Basketball
Statistics & Accolades: Curt Gowdy Media Award
Microphone honored by the Boston Celtics
New England Basketball Hall of Fame
Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
The Boston Celtics had an incredible slate of Hall of Fame players who graced their court, but in their golden era, there was only one iconic commentator: Johnny Most, the unapologetic homer with the gravelly voice.

A World War II veteran who earned seven medals for his work as an aerial gunner, Most became Marty Glickman’s protege, which led to his hiring by the Boston Celtics in 1953. While the team would field players like Bill Russell and Larry Bird, Most was just as iconic in Boston, and he loved the Celtics as much as any superfan. If there is any doubt of that, a quick search of his call of John Havlicek’s steal in the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals will put it in perspective.

He rarely criticized his own team, but everyone else in the NBA was fair game. Most dubbed Magic Johnson as “Crybaby” and Isiah Thomas as “Little Lord Fauntelroy”, and would use those monikers during games.

Most, who was a heavy smoker, saw his health deteriorate following a 1983 stroke, but he kept calling games until 1990. Immediately after his retirement in 1990, the Celtics permanently installed and encased his microphone in the Boston Garden, where he called the games, “high above courtside”.

We are proud to nominate Johnny Most for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.

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