Dennis Johnson

Dennis Johnson
Johnson shooting a layup
Personal information
Born(1954-09-18)September 18, 1954
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedFebruary 22, 2007(2007-02-22) (aged 52)
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High schoolDominguez (Compton, California)
College
NBA draft1976: 2nd round, 29th overall pick
Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics
Playing career1976–1990
PositionPoint guard / shooting guard
Number24, 3
Coaching career1993–2007
Career history
As player:
19761980Seattle SuperSonics
19801983Phoenix Suns
19831990Boston Celtics
As coach:
19931997Boston Celtics (assistant)
1999–2000La Crosse Bobcats
20002003Los Angeles Clippers (assistant)
2003Los Angeles Clippers
2004–2005Florida Flame
2005–2007Austin Toros
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points15,535 (14.1 ppg)
Assists5,499 (5.0 apg)
Steals1,477 (1.3 spg)
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player

Dennis Wayne Johnson (September 18, 1954 – February 22, 2007), nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns, and Boston Celtics. He was a coach of the Los Angeles Clippers and an alumnus of Dominguez High School, Los Angeles Harbor College and Pepperdine University.[1]

A prototypical late bloomer, Johnson overcame early struggles[2] and had a successful NBA playing career. Drafted 29th overall in 1976 by the Seattle SuperSonics, Johnson began his professional career as a shooting guard. He eventually led the Sonics to their only NBA championship in 1979 winning the Finals MVP Award. After three seasons with the Phoenix Suns, he became the starting point guard for the Boston Celtics, with whom he won two more championships. Johnson was voted into five All-Star Teams, one All-NBA First and one Second Team, and nine consecutive All-Defensive First and Second Teams.[3] Apart from his reputation as a defensive stopper, Johnson was known as a clutch player who made several decisive plays in NBA playoffs history.[1]

The Celtics retired Johnson's No. 3 jersey which hangs from the rafters of the TD Garden, the home arena of the team. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame officially inducted Johnson to the Hall posthumously in 2010.[4] He is considered by several sports journalists to be one of the most underrated players of all time.[5][6][7]

  1. ^ a b "Dennis Johnson Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
  2. ^ McClellan, Michael D. (October 1, 2002). "The Long Shot: The Dennis Johnson Interview". Celtic-nation.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
  3. ^ "Dennis Johnson Stats". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
  4. ^ "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2010" (Press release). Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. April 5, 2010. Archived from the original on April 9, 2010. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference simmons was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Hall of Fame still neglecting a few greats". ESPN. April 3, 2006. Archived from the original on January 13, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
  7. ^ "Shining stars who belong in the Hall of Fame". ESPN. April 2, 2007. Archived from the original on September 21, 2007. Retrieved February 3, 2008.

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