Gus Johnson's greatest fear before dying was that people wouldn't remember him

[CavaliersFTW]

...god damn

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-12-14/sports/8604030686_1_gus-johnson-akron-city-hospital-cancer


``The athlete,`` said former Bullets` and 76ers` guard Fred Carter,

``marches through his years invincibly. He dances on the edge of a cliff, senses no danger.

``Later, as he grows older, he realizes his mortality. He learns nobody is sacred. You tell yourself there are some people it`s not supposed to happen to. But it does.

``Nobody has control. Nobody.``

Gus Johnson`s greatest fear is that he will die and his daughters

``don`t even know what their daddy did.``

What Gus Johnson did as a professional basketball star from 1963 through 1973 was wondrous. He was a marvelously talented 6-foot-6-inch forward in the era before the sport found its niche with national television, before the advent of cable systems.

Now Gus Johnson, 47, is dying, and he is convinced that people either won`t remember him or, worse, never really knew him. He has no film, no videotape from the nine seasons he spent with the Baltimore Bullets, or even from the final year he split between the Phoenix Suns and the American Basketball Association`s Indiana Pacers.

``People don`t know me,`` he was saying on the phone from his home in Akron. ``I`d love to have some film. I want them to remember the way I played. I`d like the kids to see what playing both ends of the court is really like.`` Johnson was hospitalized early in November after his father, Gus Sr., and his brother, Perry, found him wandering outside his house.

``The way Gus was acting, I thought he was on drugs,`` Perry was quoted as saying in a Nov. 14 story in the Baltimore Sun. ``He was almost incoherent. He said he couldn`t find his keys or glasses. And then he told me he had this knot on his neck. That`s when we found out he had cancer.``

The cancer has spread to Gus Johnson`s brain. He has been undergoing cobalt treatments to relieve the swelling and headaches.

``Is there a cure?`` Dr. Robert Baranek, a cardiovascular surgeon at Akron City Hospital, said in the Sun story. ``No. You don`t cure cancer of the brain. You try and relieve the pain. People with his kind of cancer might last three to six months.

``When I first saw him in the hospital, he was nonfunctional. He couldn`t move his head. But now he is walking around, talking lucidly, and we were able to send him home.

``He will have his good days like this, a lot of bad days, and then . . .``

Contemporaries--former players such as Archie Clark, Wali Jones, Howard Komives and Philadelphia summer league impresario Sonny Hill--have been in touch, all offering support.

``At first,`` Johnson said, ``I couldn`t even talk about it. Every day gets better. I`m dealing with it.``

One hopes Gus Johnson will find some solace in the videocassette highlighting his career that is being prepared by NBA Films. It is the type of cassette frequently put together for a retiring player of significant magnitude, or for celebratory purposes.

This one will be delivered to Gus Johnson`s home with an appropriate accompanying letter from National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern.


I wonder if the NBA ever followed through with their videocasette highlight.

This makes me really glad I put together a highlight of him (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uchAeIUAZco).

[JimmyMcAdocious]

The ego on this guy.

[navy]

Who?

[Eric Cartman]

Who?

:applause:

[buddha]

srsly who?

[Dro]

Thx for the thread bro. Guy is dying from brain cancer, and is just wondering how he will be remembered and the first thing he cared about was that his DAUGHTERS may not ever know what their dad did on the b-ball court. That was his FIRST concern so I'm not sure why there's all these smart azz posts on this thread but we would ALL feel the same way if we played in an era with little to no video footage and might not be alive long enough to tell our stories....

Can't stand this forum sometimes....must be the new generation.....seems like they can't relate to other people on any kind of humane level......

[Trollsmasher]

literally who?

[Kblaze8855]

I'm not sure why there's all these smart azz posts on this thread but we would ALL feel the same way if we played in an era with little to no video footage and might not be alive long enough to tell our stories....

Can't stand this forum sometimes....must be the new generation.....

Its a joke. I long stopped expecting respect for the people who built the game...

Be nice if we could still expect decency.

[Dro]

Its a joke. I long stopped expecting respect for the people who built the game...

Be nice if we could still expect decency.
I feel you bro. Thats why I value when guys like you and others educate us about the players of the past. Even though I'm 34, there's still many players that I need more info about and I appreciate you guys. Somebody has to have respect for those who paved the way.......

[rhowen4]

I've been thinking about this too lately so I have a lot of sympathy for him, 48 is too young.

[JohnMax]

Thank God its not Gus Johnson the broadcast announcer.

[JohnFreeman]

laters p1g

[HomieWeMajor]

Such a sad story
R.I.P Gus Williams http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/rip.gif

[MiseryCityTexas]

Wish they had more video footage of the 64-65 Baltimore Bullets. A team that Had Gus Johnson, Walt Bellamy, Bailey Howell, and Kevin Loughery, could probably easily beast in today's league. This is probably one of the most forgotten eastern conference play-off teams in NBA history. They probably would have made a couple of finals appearances in the 60s if it weren't for Bill Russell and the Celtics.

[LAZERUSS]

Wish they had more video footage of the 64-65 Baltimore Bullets. A team that Had Gus Johnson, Walt Bellamy, Bailey Howell, and Kevin Loughery, could probably easily beast in today's league. This is probably one of the most forgotten eastern conference play-off teams in NBA history. They probably would have made a couple of finals appearances in the 60s if it weren't for Bill Russell and the Celtics.

Jerry West averaged 46.3 ppg against them in their six game series. Games of 42, 43, 44, 48, 49, and 52 points.

[Collie]

Makes me think about guys like Carmelo. Would they ever regret, when they're on their deathbed years from now, that they took the money above being remembered forever? I'm sure some guys wouldn't mind, but there's bound to be some who will regret it.

[HylianNightmare]

That mix is awesome

[Dro]

Makes me think about guys like Carmelo. Would they ever regret, when they're on their deathbed years from now, that they took the money above being remembered forever? I'm sure some guys wouldn't mind, but there's bound to be some who will regret it.
Good point........

[Dro]

That mix is awesome
It definitely is....I wonder how many of the Kobe/Lebron fans(most of this forum) even watched it....:lol

These are same idiots claiming athleticism didn't exist back then.......You've got Gus Johnson looking like Barkley out there snagging rebounds and throwing down thunderous dunks and dropping dimes.......

Quote from the video....."He was the Lebron of our day".....

Who's that quote from Cavsftw?

[Charlie Sheen]

It sounded like Len Elmore. I dont know tho

[oarabbus]

It definitely is....I wonder how many of the Kobe/Lebron fans(most of this forum) even watched it....:lol

These are same idiots claiming athleticism didn't exist back then.......You've got Gus Johnson looking like Barkley out there snagging rebounds and throwing down thunderous dunks and dropping dimes.......

Quote from the video....."He was the Lebron of our day".....

Who's that quote from Cavsftw?

Guy had tremendous athleticism no doubt wish the league encouraged dunking more back then

[CavaliersFTW]

It definitely is....I wonder how many of the Kobe/Lebron fans(most of this forum) even watched it....:lol

These are same idiots claiming athleticism didn't exist back then.......You've got Gus Johnson looking like Barkley out there snagging rebounds and throwing down thunderous dunks and dropping dimes.......

Quote from the video....."He was the Lebron of our day".....

Who's that quote from Cavsftw?
Nate Thurmond said that. Nate Thurmond and Gus Johnson played on the same high school team... And there's other interviews where Nate is quick to point out that Gus was such a tremendous athlete, HE was their HS teams center not Nate. :cheers:

[Nuff Said]

Makes me think about guys like Carmelo. Would they ever regret, when they're on their deathbed years from now, that they took the money above being remembered forever? I'm sure some guys wouldn't mind, but there's bound to be some who will regret it.
Carmelo has YouTube vids, commercials, and social media and such. He will be remembered. This Gus guy ain't got shit. I've never even heard of the fella.

[SpanishACB]

those palming the ball passes, they're hard to see even from a video replay I wonder why not more players nowdays use those kind of fakes

[macmac]

Thx for the thread bro. Guy is dying from brain cancer, and is just wondering how he will be remembered and the first thing he cared about was that his DAUGHTERS may not ever know what their dad did on the b-ball court. That was his FIRST concern so I'm not sure why there's all these smart azz posts on this thread but we would ALL feel the same way if we played in an era with little to no video footage and might not be alive long enough to tell our stories....

Can't stand this forum sometimes....must be the new generation.....seems like they can't relate to other people on any kind of humane level......

This article is from almost 30 years ago. Not saying that these kids aren't being ignorant, but I think enough time has passed where you can crack a joke or two without the "too soon?" Label

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o9dXLNuXic

[Marchesk]

Carmelo has YouTube vids, commercials, and social media and such. He will be remembered. This Gus guy ain't got shit. I've never even heard of the fella.

So will every NBA star from here on out. 30 years from now, will anyone care about Melo's career? Do you care about Mark Aquire, Alex English or Dale Ellis? People who remember watching them or rooting for them do. And historians of the game. But people like you 30 years from now won't give a damn about Carmelo.

[steve]

those palming the ball passes, they're hard to see even from a video replay I wonder why not more players nowdays use those kind of fakes

Man, those kind of passes are really difficult to pull off. A player's hands have to be huge to not only palm the ball but in such away that you can hang on to the ball at all times before the pass is actually made. Not to mention the overall confidence to make passes like those. This is almost how Connie Hawkins used to pass exclusively it seemed, Dr. J passed like this too but it's rare and there's a reason for it. Leonard could do it if he were that kind of a passer and it's unfortunate that Royce White couldn't get past his issues because this how he passed.

On the subject at hand, growing up as a Bullets fan, I knew who Gus Johnson was by name but obviously he was well before my time and didn't really have a good feel for his game, at least not in the same way I had for contemporaries of his (who played for the Bullets) like Unseld, Hayes, Chenier, Monroe, etc and it wasn't like you'd stumble across some video retrospective like you would with those guys (before youtube and all). But I remember randomly watching an All-Star game from either the late '60s or early '70s Gus was involved in and just being fascinated with even before I figured out who he was. He wasn't the best player on the court but he was certainly the most dynamic and he played the game like some sort of guided missile.

It's hard to really appreciate how good of a player he was because the public and press didn't really have that much of an open appreciation for him (even in the DC/Baltimore area) but you sort of get it when you start hear how in awe and respected he was among his fellow players at the time. It seemed like everyone he played with or against were just amazed with his ability, athleticism, and pure strength, and always seems to be on the short list of players who are underrated from that era by those very same players.

I'm not sure if anyone has watched his Hall of Fame induction from several years back that involved both Unseld and Monroe (who were up there with Gus' brother), but it really is heart warming and I totally get why he would fear not being remembered. It's not the same as someone like Melo, who probably isn't going to win a championship, but has loads of video to remember him by and let everyone know what kind of player he was. Especially at the time Gus passed away, it was hard for anyone to come across video of a player from the '60s and '70s or really any player not named Kareem, Magic, or Bird (even someone like Dr. J lived more or less as some sort of urban legend especially as his hair got shorter). Thankfully now there's at least enough that people interested can find about him and the stories involving him (the infamous nail in Iowa) have become part of basketball lore.

[steve]

So will every NBA star from here on out. 30 years from now, will anyone care about Melo's career? Do you care about Mark Aquire, Alex English or Dale Ellis? People who remember watching them or rooting for them do. And historians of the game. But people like you 30 years from now won't give a damn about Carmelo.

But that's not exactly who we're talking about here. People who truly like basketball will remember Melo and be able to talk about him and discuss his game with actual evidence. What you're talking about are casual sports fans who really have trouble discussing any past player who isn't named Jordan (mainly because Jordan as a cultural touchstone won't go away). These are the same people who don't even remember Kareem or Dr. J and 10 to 20 to 30 years from now people probably won't even have a good appreciation for even players like Magic or Bird (and let's not even discuss how well this specific group talks and remembers Russell and Wilt).

[elementally morale]

But that's not exactly who we're talking about here. People who truly like basketball will remember Melo and be able to talk about him and discuss his game with actual evidence. What you're talking about are casual sports fans who really have trouble discussing any past player who isn't named Jordan (mainly because Jordan as a cultural touchstone won't go away). These are the same people who don't even remember Kareem or Dr. J and 10 to 20 to 30 years from now people probably won't even have a good appreciation for even players like Magic or Bird (and let's not even discuss how well this specific group talks and remembers Russell and Wilt).

You don't have to remember any player. At all. Making fun of someone (anyone) dying is a different type of shit.

[steve]

You don't have to remember any player. At all. Making fun of someone (anyone) dying is a different type of shit.

I glossed over that shit to try and get to the point where I could talk about Gus, was he one of the guys promoting that?

[SexSymbol]

When I walk through the graveyard I see those graves that haven't been watched after in yeaaars.
I don't want this to happen to me so much, even though I won't be there to witness it, it's just a sad sight

[Dro]

Nate Thurmond said that. Nate Thurmond and Gus Johnson played on the same high school team... And there's other interviews where Nate is quick to point out that Gus was such a tremendous athlete, HE was their HS teams center not Nate. :cheers:
:cheers:

Thx bro......

[Pointguard]

He was part of the most brutal rivalries in the history of the league. The real mano a mano in the trenches rivalry in the history of the league. Blood, sweat and tears throw down. Tougher and meaner than KG/Duncan or Barkley/Malone ever got, more direct than Lebron/Durant or Wade/Kobe. Gus Johnson vs Dave Debusschere was bodies banging, hits, anger, skill, two guys who got up as much energy as they could give each other. They made people not look at the battle of the beef in the hardcore hustle battle of Reed and Unseld.