september february nicknamed american professional basketball player national_basketball_association nba coach alumnus late johnson overcame early struggles successful nba playing career drafted 29th overall johnson began professional career shooting guard eventually led nba championship winning short stint starting point guard won championships johnson voted star teams nba consecutive defensive second teams apart reputation defensive johnson known clutch player decisive plays nba playoffs history franchise retired johnson jersey hangs garden home arena team april memorial basketball hall fame officially announced johnson posthumously elected hall formally inducted august considered sports journalists players time early years born eighth sixteen children social worker lived california suburb los_angeles originally baseball fan little johnson learned basketball father size talent compete peers teenager johnson measured played minute game high school worked odd jobs including hour job driver played brothers summer league games work period johnson grew height developed later described rocket legs enabled jump high grab rebounds taller opponents coach watched johnson play street basketball feeling johnson excelled defense white asked johnson gave jobs developed promising young guard averaging points rebounds game leading harbor college junior state title young guard lacked discipline clashed white thrown team times years end junior college career universities offered johnson scholarships johnson chose year college averaged points rebounds assists game developed reputation tough defense year johnson eligible skeptical team nba teams wary drafting player character issues johnson known professional career took johnson second round draft 29th pick gave year contract earned salary year rookie year nba season johnson playing backup experienced tandem averaged points assists game finished record missed nba playoffs leading head coach resign following season team lost games russell replacement replaced hall_of_fame coach gave johnson starting spot paired johnson new role improving averages points assists game period johnson played shooting guard known aggressive slam contrast cerebral roles played later career time johnson nickname coined play play announcer help distinguish teammates referred respectively finishing strongly ended regular season record nba playoffs eliminating defending champion portland trail defeated taking lead game victory johnson blocked seven shots blocks history guard lost seven games partly johnson game scoring drought second year guard missed field goal attempts johnson later acknowledged simply vowed repeat credited game important lesson better player johnson got revenge season record team met bullets losing game won games finals series helped johnson averaged points rebounds assists game scored points game overtime victory named season johnson established best guards league averaged points assists game defensive team star game appearance following season johnson averaged points assists appeared second star game named nba second team lost abundance talent team johnson later called loss worst professional career grew tired johnson clashed perceived growing liability team end season johnson traded draft picks finished games worse season despite addition johnson established quality player phoenix years sun johnson averaged points game provided tough defense played star games voted consecutive defensive teams earned nba team appearance period johnson like seattle played shooting guard main scorer team opposed second option sonic years johnson stint fairly successful reaching seasons round johnson year johnson situation deteriorated end career phoenix like seattle clashed coach finally traded general manager draft picks like seattle johnson departure finished games worse season despite addition season season seasons lost philadelphia times mainly physical guard routinely caused problems defensively fragile subsequently getting swept general manager red added perennial member johnson squad hoping help fare better playoffs particular johnson joined squad led hall_of_fame forward played fellow hall center forward combination called best time nba johnson described joining dream come true enjoyed highly successful general manager living history according johnson changed playing style time career known slam shooting guard scorer established point guard defined scoring year celtic averaged points assists elected reached met intense rivals 1960s won johnson took credit playing defense limiting sub average points games partly responsible point guard game deciding errors games result tragic johnson played season johnson continued playing defense earning defensive second team averaging points assists game met nba finals johnson big moment came game score tied teammate ball seconds double teamed bird passed open johnson guard sank win game took revenge time winning series games powered year old finals johnson described loss toughest career close winning series job following season playoffs helped performance johnson points assists game defeating reached coming led twin towers centers led finals mvp beat rockets johnson won title unable repeat title despite dramatic playoff victories johnson played strong defense earning appearance embarked nail biting playoff campaign split games milwaukee deciding game won johnson spectacular play left game ball threatened fly bounds johnson backwards mid air center ball bounced going bounds maintained possession round eastern conference finals faced series described match intense rivals featuring great level personal animosity sharp rhetoric physical center feud pivot players bird parish game johnson involved crucial play stole bounds pass point guard seconds left passed johnson converted difficult second left game play caused broadcaster johnny shout famous calls according johnson favorite play time games featured feud time forward johnson game won johnson closing seconds waving right hand head took game johnson went moments game gesture succumbed los_angeles finals mvp magic johnson great performance averaging points assists series seasons disappointing aging season johnson averaged points assists playoffs unable beat season johnson declined points assists game team nba playoffs record largely absence star forward entire season immediately eliminated round largely absence injured following nba season johnson year old relinquished starting point guard role younger shoulder johnson returned high level performance called man coach season johnson started games averaging points assists failed survive round nba playoffs johnson retired offer new contract beginning season retirement ceremony perennial los_angeles opponent lauded best defender time addition colleague triple nba valuable player award winner called johnson best teammate post player career retiring player johnson worked scout assistant coach position held spending years outside returned assistant coach spent seasons games end season johnson served interim head coach departure johnson later worked scout named head coach head coach year later held position death years later head coaching record legacy games johnson scored points grabbed rebounds gave assists translating career averages points rebounds assists game known defensive elected straight defensive second teams nba legend said journalist johnson hardest defender played johnson acknowledged nba money player clutch decisive moments scoring points team game overtime victory playing defense converting second game eastern conference finals steal furthermore johnson lauded nba versatile weapon played known nba seasons played possible games participated playoff games figure 11th highest number time retirement johnson 11th nba player points assists december franchise retired number jersey johnson said remarked seeing number gave special feeling johnson live induction fact considerable point debate sports journalists espn called hall fame ongoing injustice stating according hall known strong defense spectacular scoring like johnson better basketball player called johnson guys hall fame pass forward gave johnson ultimate praise calling best teammate autobiography drive especially significant considering bird teammates included hall april reported johnson posthumously elected officially confirmed days later hall released list october learning center dedicated johnson center possible donations effort johnson family members local community present ribbon cutting ceremony said behalf husband dennis alive appreciate thought love idea nba league coach year award named johnson personal life married wife years children named daniel johnson known appearance reddish hair dennis brother basketball star dennis nick drafted 2nd round nba draft currently plays known basketball stars october arrested detained overnight allegedly holding knife wife throat threatening year old son johnson later charged aggravated assault ordered stay away family prosecutors dropped case months later wife declined press charges johnson reportedly went counseling repair marriage death february austin convention center johnson heart attack collapsed end practice rushed nearby hospital revived later pronounced dead johnson survived wife children johnson death met shock nba contemporary colleague called players time greatest acquisitions time rival called great player great
Dennis Johnson