The J-Notes
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The Best Of Hot Rod Hundley In Memoriam

By Clint Peterson

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We lost a legend in Hot Rod Hundley yesterday. Here are some the best anecdotes offered In Memoriam.

More from The J-Notes

"SALT LAKE CITY (March 27, 2015) – Longtime broadcaster Hot Rod Hundley, the beloved voice of the Utah Jazz from 1974-2009, passed away Friday at his home in Phoenix, Ariz. area surrounded by family.  He broadcast many of the most memorable moments in Jazz history, calling 3,051 Jazz games in three-plus decades.“Hot Rod was the voice of the Utah Jazz for 35 years and his voice was synonymous with Jazz radio,” said Gail Miller, owner of the franchise. “The expressions he used throughout the game broadcasts are legendary. He had the unique ability to make the game come to life so that you felt as though you could see what was happening on the floor when listening to him call the games.–UtahJazz.com, official statement"

There was a report that Hot Rod Hundley was the first Caucasian player offered a contract with the Harlem Globetrotters, little wonder considering his antics on the court.

"“Nobody did the things I did on the court and nobody has done them since,” Hundley said of his collegiate exploits in “Hot Rod Hundley: You Gotta Love It Baby!” (2012), written with Tom McEachin. “I’d shoot behind my back, sit on the other team’s bench and really work the crowd. I was a Globetrotter in college basketball.” From Tall Tales: The Glory Years of the NBA, on Hot Rod Hundley, by Terry PlutoHundley drove West Virginia to basketball prominence in the mid-1950s with his hot shooting and his antics, which included hook shots for free throws and hanging on the rim to await a lob pass.A two-time all-American, Hundley preceded the future Hall of Famer Jerry West at West Virginia and was his teammate with the Lakers. They became two of the most celebrated figures in their home state.“Hot Rod was the real first basketball hero in West Virginia,” West told Terry Pluto in the pro basketball oral history “Tall Tales” (1992). “He was like a Pied Piper; people were just drawn to him.”–New York Times"

Often called the Clown Prince or a Court Jester, Hot Rod Hundley always had a sharp wit and whimsical sense of humor.

"Though slowed by a knee injury, he said in a candid 2003 interview that a penchant for partying and carousing actually cut short his playing days.“Boy, you talk about regrets. I’d have a nice pension now. If I had had Jerry (West’s) dedication. I had more natural talent than he did. I was an idiot. I was too busy Hollywooding it. I had never seen anything like it.”He went on to a Hall-of-Fame career as a play-by-play analyst with the Lakers, Suns and Jazz, absorbing lessons from the iconic Chick Hearn.“I could have gone to 10 schools and never learned more than I did by just sitting beside him with the headset on doing the game.”–West Virginia Metro News"

Few elicited such vivid imagery as Hot Rod Hundley when calling a game. Great lengths were gone to to hear him call a very special series.

"One could close their eyes and listen to the squeak of sneakers on hardwood while Hundley belted out play-by-play with more emotion than anyone else could muster. You could close your eyes and it was almost as if you were right there next to him in the Salt Palace.If I stood in just the right place and held the radio over my head at just the right angle we could hear Hot Rod Hundley calling out frozen ropes and rainbow jumpers. Of course, you could only do that for so long before your arm turned to jelly, so we handful of Jazz fanatics and gem hunters took turns for the next three hours.Standing like statues on a rocky bluff in a deserted desert, we listened to the dulcet tones and emotional outbursts of Hot Rod Hundley as he called a game we’d talk about all day the next day on the mountain as we hunted for precious gems.Looking back now, I realize that we’d already found a gem while we’d hunted the night before.–The J Notes"

Revered by all who met him, renowned for treating everyone as if they were royalty, Hundley rarely missed a beat on a call.

Voice of the Suns Al McCoy with Voice of the Jazz Hot Rod Hundley

"“He absolutely loved basketball,” [Al] McCoy (voice of the Phoenix Suns) said. “He really did.”Hundley was fast on his feet on the court, and maybe even faster in front of a microphone.McCoy recalled commenting in one broadcast while the two worked for the Suns that forward George McGinnis‘ favorite shot was a 15-footer.“I said, ‘Boy, that’s really his favorite shot! Rod, you were a top draft pick, what was your favorite shot?’ ” McCoy said. “He said, “Cutty and water” and just went on like nothing ever happened. He never skipped a beat.”–The Salt Lake Tribune"

"The best way to listen to Hot Rod Hundley was alone, cruising down a long stretch of highway at night. There was something in the vast darkness on the way to Las Vegas or Evanston that took your mind back to the intersection of what is now John Stockton and Karl Malone Drives. Something in his voice that made you think of, well, an old cowhide globe. A national writer once said Hundley sounded like he had “gargled with salt water on a foggy night.”Even an out-of-state listener, speeding past the Salt Flats on the way to or from the coast, could tell immediately it was an NBA broadcast. The rapid cadences — from “belt-high dribble” to “leapin’ leaner” to “the ol’ cowhide globe hits home!” — perfectly captured the rhythm of the game.Whenever he would call out, “Utah Jazz basketball is comin’ up next, and you gotta love it, baby!” I have to admit, I did.–Brad “The Rockmonster” Rock"

Local radio host for 1280/97.5 The Zone, Tony Parks, does a dead knockoff Hot Rod impersonation, one so good he once fooled TV voice of the Utah Jazz, Craig Bolerjack, for an entire segment. Parks imparts the story of how the voice of “Hots” began, back when he was seven years old, making the only dunks of his life.

"“That all happened when I was pretty young. I was probably right around seven, shooting on a mini-hoop. And I was actually calling the game as well, and I didn’t know I was doing it at the time, but I was actually sounding exactly like the guy on TV. My parents had some friends over, and they were saying “Are you hearing this?!” All of a sudden, that’s how that all got started for me.” –Tony Parks on 1280/97.5 The Zone"

No one was harder on themselves when a mistake was made than Hot Rod. Current radio voice of the Utah Jazz, David Locke, took it extremely hard upon hearing the news of Hundley’s passing. Locke was on air at the time the news broke and managed to handle it like a pro, even though he must have been dying inside.

"There has never been a day when I have the radio voice of the Jazz where I didn’t feel like I was doing hot rod’s job. Tonight it was overwhelming.Hots started as my hero when I was a kid. Then he was my mentor over the 7 years that I was the studio host for the radio and finally he I am proud to say he was my friendI am pretty blank tonight crew. Sorry. Tough night for everyone in the Jazz family and I am sure for you as well as a Jazz fan. We lost one of our pillars. This foundation has come a long way. So far I don’t think many of us realize where it once stood. Hot Rod brought legitimacy to this franchise. He educated a city about the NBA and then he took us on a joyous ride through the ups and downs of a developing franchise until we peaked in the incredible run to the Finals. Then he kept us on the journey. Each night was filled with passion for the game and a love for the franchise.–David Locke, Radio Voice of the Utah Jazz"

Thank you for so many memories, Hot Rod Hundley. But most of all, thank you just for being you.

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