Dennis Johnson
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.
Johnson shooting a layup | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 18, 1954 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | February 22, 2007 (aged 52) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Dominguez (Compton, California) |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 1976: 2nd round, 29th overall pick |
| Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics | |
| Playing career | 1976–1990 |
| Position | Point guard / shooting guard |
| Number | 24, 3 |
| Coaching career | 1993–2007 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1976–1980 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1980–1983 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1983–1990 | Boston Celtics |
| As coach: | |
| 1993–1997 | Boston Celtics (assistant) |
| 1999–2000 | La Crosse Bobcats |
| 2000–2003 | Los Angeles Clippers (assistant) |
| 2003 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2004–2005 | Florida Flame |
| 2005–2007 | Austin Toros |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 15,535 (14.1 ppg) |
| Assists | 5,499 (5.0 apg) |
| Steals | 1,477 (1.3 spg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |
A prototypical late bloomer, Johnson overcame early struggles 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. Apart from his reputation as a defensive stopper, Johnson was known as a clutch player who made several decisive plays in NBA playoffs history.
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. He is considered by several sports journalists to be one of the most underrated players of all time.