An Exclusive Interview with Jamie Most and Mike Carey
By:
Michael D. McClellan | Monday, February 21st 2005
Most’s disdain for Chamberlain
was legendary. He viewed the Kansas University product
as a stat monger, more concerned with getting his points
than winning titles, and Most used every opportunity to
take a jab at the Laker big man. “Wilt the Stilt” was a
nickname that bothered Chamberlain a great deal, and
Most used this to great advantage. He constantly
referred to the seven-footer as “The Stilt”, a bit of
on-air psychological warfare that Russell himself surely
appreciated. And the nicknames, like the phrases he
made famous, live on in Celtic lore. Villains such as
Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland became “McFilthy and
McNasty”, while the grinning, mischievous Isiah Thomas –
another of Most’s most-despised – was often referred to
as “Little Lord Fauntleroy”.
Most saw plenty during the
1970s, as Auerbach rebuilt the team around players such
as Havlicek, Dave Cowens and Jo Jo White. Close friend
Tommy Heinsohn was named head coach, and the Celtics put
two more championship banners in the rafters of the
Boston Garden. The ’74 crown came at the expense of
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Milwaukee Bucks, while the
’76 banner was most notable for Game 5 against the
Phoenix Suns. Now billed as “The Greatest Game Ever
Played”, Most was there for that triple-overtime game in
the intense Garden heat. The Celtics prevailed, and
went on to win the team’s 13th world
championship.
By 1979 the team was in
disarray, but Auerbach was again working on another
title run. Larry Bird was on the roster as a rookie,
drafted the year before as a junior eligible, and Most
was set to watch another era unfold. Kevin McHale and
Robert Parish were added a year later, paving the way
for three more championships. The NBA, in serious
trouble just a few short years before, was suddenly
brimming with a newfound popularity. A Golden Age was
born. Players such as Julius Erving, Magic Johnson and
Bird were making the league fan-friendly, Michael Jordan
was on his way, and Johnny Most was right there to make
the calls.
On the occasion when Erving and
teammate Moses Malone attacked Bird out of frustration,
Most wasted little time unleashing a torrent on Malone,
whom he perceived as a coward for his role in the
fracas. A sampling of that 1984 broadcast shows how
excitable Most could be in the heat of the moment:
“I want to see him [Malone]
fight Bird face-to-face…because he won’t fight anybody
face-to-face…Malone came up from behind…a real, yellow,
cowardly act…Malone is a coward – I mean I say that
irrevocably – Malone is a coward!”
The 1986 NBA Finals brought
another classic Most moment, this when Houston’s 7’-4”
Ralph Sampson decided to take on Boston’s 6’-1” Jerry
Sichting. In 1987, history repeated itself, as Bird’s
steal in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals helped
save the series against the Detroit Pistons. Most was
there for that call as well. He was there for virtually
every piece of Celtics history, until his passing on
January 3rd, 1993. His loss was felt not
only by the Celtic Family, but by legions of Celtics
fans the world over. To them, Johnny Most was as much a
part of the fabric of the team as Auerbach, Cousy,
Russell, Havlicek and Bird.
Johnny Most’s story is
wonderfully told by two of the men who knew him best –
his son, Jamie, and his close friend Mike Carey. The
book “High Above Courtside” began at the request of
Most, in 1984, as an autobiographical effort. Mr. Carey
gladly agreed to be a part of this project, and began
the process of interviewing those who knew him best. As
Most’s health began to deteriorate, it became clear that
the project would not be completed for some time. With
the help of Jamie, “High Above Courtside – The Lost
Memoirs of Johnny Most” was finally published in 2003.
It is one of the finest books on basketball history ever
written, a must-read for Boston Celtics fans
everywhere. Both Mr. Carey and Mr. Most deserve a
tremendous amount of credit for seeing this fine effort
to fruition.
“Voice of the Celtics – Johnny Most’s Greatest Calls”
represents their second collaborative effort, and is
packaged with a CD of calls by the late broadcasting
legend. The CD, narrated by Tommy Heinsohn, contains
priceless audio tracks that are sure to bring as many
chills as memories. It is the work of Jamie Most, who
also uses his creative talent as a filmmaker in New
York. The book is a collection of Johnny Most’s finest
moments, from the classic calls to his relationships
with Walter Brown and Red Auerbach. No stone is left
unturned. “Voice of the Celtics” goes where “Courtside”
leaves off, and the two volumes represent a
comprehensive look at the love affair between Johnny
Most and the Boston Celtics.
Celtic Nation recently had the pleasure of sitting down
with Mike Carey and Jamie Most, each of whom deserve
credit for “Voice of the Celtics” and “Courtside” We
are honored to bring you this interview.
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