Gus Johnson Caught Hitting Vape While Working College Basketball Game

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There are a number of people who’ve cemented themselves as legends in the sports broadcasting world thanks to their ability to take a sporting event to the next level by simply being on the microphone. That includes Gus Johnson, who’s been injecting his unique brand of magic into college football and basketball games since the 1990s.

Johnson is inextricably tied to an impressive number of iconic plays and moments that have caused him to absolutely lose his mind while delivering the calls that have played a major role in making those highlights as memorable as they are.

That includes the many, many instances where he’s perfectly captured the emotions shared by countless viewers and fans who’ve tuned in for the contests he’s been lucky enough to witness firsthand; I don’t even know if it’s possible to pick Johnson’s “best” moment, but I’d argue nothing sums up the essence of the commentator like the “FROM THE PARKING LOT” exclamation we were treated to when Vermont shocked Syracuse at the NCAA Tournament in 2005.

Johnson’s passion for the sports he covers comes through in basically every single game he works. It’s also pretty obvious he’s a naturally energetic person, but he may also be the beneficiary of a performance-enhancing substance based on some footage that recently surfaced.

The clip in question was captured during last week’s men’s basketball showdown between Arizona and Indiana and shows Johnson treating himself to some nicotine courtesy of the vape pen he hit for a couple of seconds during a break in the action.

This isn’t actually the first time Johnson has been caught red-handed, as some eagle-eyed viewers spotted another vape in his hand when he was in the booth for the Penn State-Wisconsin football game in 2021.

It’s worth noting Johnson isn’t the only notable broadcasting name who’s indulged in some vices during a broadcast. Last year, Joe Buck admitted he had a tendency to nurse a beer during games and occasionally broke out a bottle of tequila while working alongside Troy Aikman.