"Three seconds... Pierce... takes it... GOT IT!"
Mike Gorman's iconic "Got it!" catchphrase has been the soundtrack to the biggest Boston Celtics moments of the last 43 years. Soon, the legendary broadcaster will make the final "Got it" call of his illustrious career.
Ahead of his final regular-season game on Sunday, Gorman caught up with Brian Scalabrine to reflect on his tenure as the Celtics' play-by-play commentator. During the conversation, he detailed how he made "Got it!" his signature call.
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"I wanted a short version of the ball going in the basket," Gorman said on NBC Sports Boston's Mike Gorman: 43 Seasons of Excellence special. "What I wanted to do was when there was a big moment, I wanted to say 'Got it!' and that's it. I didn't want to say anything else for 10 or 15 seconds. And if Tommy (Heinsohn) wanted to say something, I'd give him a whack every now and then. And then he said, 'You're right, let's let the crowd enjoy the moment.' So it was more getting ready to go from what had been a relatively calm narrative to an excited person."
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After making his "Got it!" call, Gorman lets the crowd do the talking. He explained to Scal that in big moments, it's important to let the game breathe. That's part of the reason why he wanted a quick catchphrase, and "Got it!" was the perfect choice.
"You've got to figure there's a guy in the booth with you who never says a word during the whole broadcast," Gorman added. "But you've got to leave room for him in case he does. And that way, people get a little break at home."
The Celtics and NBC Sports Boston will celebrate Gorman's Hall of Fame career this Sunday during the team's season finale against the Washington Wizards. The game tips off at 1 p.m. ET.
Mayor Michelle Wu also proclaimed April 14 as "Mike Gorman Day" in Boston.
Watch the full "Mike Gorman: 43 Years of Excellence" special below: