Mickey Johnson

After graduating from Chicago's Lindblom High School and playing collegiately at tiny Aurora College, the 6' 10" forward/center was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the fourth round of the 1974 NBA Draft. The Blazers immediately traded Johnson to the Chicago Bulls, with whom he averaged just 3.8 points per game as a rookie. Johnson quickly improved, however, and he moved into the Bulls' starting lineup during the middle of his second season. A versatile scorer and aggressive rebounder, he averaged 17.3 points and 10.2 rebounds in 1976–77. On April 17, 1977, in the deciding game of a first round loss against his former team, Portland (Chicago was then a Western Conference team), Johnson scored a playoff career-high 34 points and added 14 rebounds.[1] The following season, he averaged 18.3 points and 9.1 rebounds, and on February 26, 1978, he scored 30 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in a 100-99 loss to his former team, Portland.[2]

In 1979, he signed as a free agent with the Indiana Pacers, averaging a career-high 19.1 points during his first and only season with that club. In what was arguably the best game of his career, on January 30, 1980, Johnson scored 41 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and recorded 8 assists in a 119-120 loss against the Washington Bullets.[3] On September 11, 1980, Johnson was traded by the Pacers to the Milwaukee Bucks for George L. Johnson and a 1982 2nd round draft pick (Jose Slaughter was later selected).[4] On April 25, 1982, Johnson scored 28 points and recorded 4 steals in a Game 1 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.[5] The Bucks would eventually lose the series in seven games. On Johnson's underappreciated role in the Bucks' postseason run, coach Don Nelson said "Mickey has not been getting much credit, he's had a few games where his offense was not good, but his defense has always been there..." Despite being a solid starter on the Bucks, Johnson's tenure may be most remembered for the fact that both he and teammate Marques Johnson were the first two players in NBA history to have their full first and last names displayed on their jerseys, as they both shared the same first initial and last name.[6]

He also played for the New Jersey Nets and Golden State Warriors during his career, and he retired in 1986 with 12,748 career points and 6,465 career rebounds.

He later became the head men's basketball coach at Malcolm X College in Chicago.[7]

Mickey Johnson is the uncle of journeyman former NBA forward Linton Johnson.[10]

• Career Stats