Sports activities legend Greg Gumbel died Friday on the age of 78, and following the information, tributes poured in for his work in numerous fields, together with March Insanity, the NFL and the Olympics.
Gumbel spent most of his greater than 50-year profession at CBS, however from 1994 to 1998 he labored for NBC, and it was throughout this time that he made the decision for the best second in he historical past of the Utah Jazz, as noticed on Saturday by the NBA Historical past X account.
On NBA obligation for the 1997 Western Convention finals between the Jazz and the Houston Rockets, Gumbel had play-by-play task for Sport 6 on Could 29 in Houston (native tv stations didn’t have the rights ).
The Jazz led the collection 3-2 and thus regarded to shut it out in Sport 6 and earn their first journey to the NBA Finals in franchise historical past, the place they might face the Chicago Bulls after the Bulls closed out the collection. Japanese Convention ultimate on the night time. earlier than in opposition to the Miami Warmth.
With the sport tied at 100, Jazz ahead Karl Malone grabbed a rebound off a missed shot by Clyde Drexler and the Jazz known as a timeout with 2.8 seconds remaining to arrange a ultimate play.
Because the groups got here out of the timeout, Gumbel famous that “(Bryon) Russell was going to inbound the ball” and Mario Elie was guarding it. The 4 different Jazz gamers on the courtroom – Malone, John Stockton, Jeff Hornacek and Antoine Carr – had been all grouped collectively on the free throw line, together with the opposite 4 Rockets gamers as nicely.
“John Stockton sends the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals!”
We bear in mind legendary sports activities broadcaster Greg Gumbel with this historic name throughout Sport 6 of the 1997 Western Convention Finals. pic.twitter.com/e2GOYPin35
– NBA Historical past (@NBAHistory) December 28, 2024
As Russell retrieved the ball from the referee, Jazz gamers started peeling in several instructions, with Malone appearing as a filter. Stockton ran to half courtroom to offer Russell a better go between half courtroom and the Jazz 3-point line, however it additionally gave him momentum towards a 3-point shot as soon as he grabbed the ball and ran in the direction of the Utah hoop. .
Colour commentator Steve “Snapper” Jones acknowledged that the Rockets misplaced Stockton and stated, “Uh-oh.” As Stockton started to stand up to shoot with greater than two seconds left on the clock, Gumbel’s iconic name got here out:
“Stockton. Open. 3.” Then, because the ball went by means of the ring: “Obtained it! John Stockton sends the Utah Jazz to the NBA finals!
Greater than 27 years faraway from what grew to become generally known as “The Shot,” it stays the best second in Jazz historical past, because the workforce misplaced to the Bulls within the Finals 15 days later after which to once more in 1998 and has not returned since.
