Mickey Johnson
New Jersey Nets | |
| 1983–1984 | Golden State Warriors |
|---|---|
| 1985–1986 | New Jersey Nets |
| Career NBA statistics | |
Points | 12,748 (14.1 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 6,465 (7.2 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,677 (3.0 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Wallace Edgar "Mickey" Johnson (born August 31, 1952) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Career
Basketball
After graduating from
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 the team which originally drafted him, 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, again to Portland.[2]
In 1979, he signed as a free agent with the
1981 NBA Playoffs, where Johnson led Milwaukee to a Game 6 win with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 steals.[6] In Game 7, the Bucks lost 99–98, and the conclusion of the game was delayed for two hours and sixteen minutes as coach Don Nelson contested if Philadelphia got away with a 24 second violation as the game ended.[7]
During the
1982 NBA Playoffs, on April 25, 1982, Johnson scored 28 points and recorded 4 steals in a Game 1 loss against the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.[8] The Bucks would eventually lose the series in six games, being eliminated by the 76ers for the second year in a row. On Johnson's underappreciated role in the Bucks' postseason run, 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.[9]
He also played for the
triple double with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 119–109 win over the Houston Rockets.[10]
He retired in 1986 with 12,748 career points and 6,465 career rebounds.
During his NBA career, Johnson was called "Rubberman" by teammates due his ability to stretch and grab rebounds and block shots, despite his slender frame.[11]
He later became the head men's basketball coach at Malcolm X College in Chicago.[12]
Politics
In 2015, Johnson unsuccessfully ran in an open race for alderman from Chicago's 24th Ward.[13] He was a finalist for an appointment to fill a vacancy for the same office in 2022; Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot ultimately nominated Monique Scott instead.[14]
In 2017, Johnson described Colin Kaepernick as a "patriot" when discussing Kaepernick's use of controversial anthem protesting to bring attention to institutional racism in America.[15]
NBA career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league |
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974–75 | Chicago
|
38 | – | 7.7 | .449 | – | .638 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 3.8 |
| 1975–76 | Chicago
|
81 | – | 29.5 | .463 | – | .786 | 9.4 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 15.3 |
| 1976–77 | Chicago
|
81 | – | 35.1 | .446 | – | .796 | 10.2 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 17.3 |
| 1977–78 | Chicago
|
81 | – | 35.4 | .462 | – | .812 | 9.1 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 18.3 |
| 1978–79 | Chicago
|
82* | – | 31.6 | .449 | – | .830 | 7.6 | 4.6 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 15.4 |
| 1979–80 | Indiana
|
82 | – | 32.3 | .463 | .156 | .799 | 8.3 | 4.2 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 19.1 |
| 1980–81 | Milwaukee
|
82 | – | 25.8 | .448 | .167 | .789 | 6.6 | 3.5 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 12.5 |
| 1981–82 | Milwaukee
|
76 | 71 | 25.4 | .491 | .143 | .801 | 6.0 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 12.9 |
| 1982–83 | Milwaukee
|
6 | 0 | 25.5 | .455 | .000 | .778 | 4.2 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 11.2 |
| 1982–83 | New Jersey
|
42 | 7 | 23.8 | .401 | .118 | .816 | 5.3 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 13.4 |
| 1982–83 | Golden State
|
30 | 9 | 30.0 | .451 | .059 | .829 | 8.2 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 15.5 |
| 1983–84 | Golden State
|
78 | 25 | 27.2 | .421 | .172 | .785 | 6.6 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 13.6 |
| 1984–85 | Golden State
|
66 | 9 | 23.7 | .426 | .233 | .823 | 6.0 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 13.3 |
| 1985–86 | New Jersey
|
79 | 4 | 19.9 | .422 | .208 | .785 | 4.2 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 7.8 |
| Career | 904 | 125 | 27.7 | .449 | .165 | .800 | 7.2 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 14.1 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974–75 | Chicago
|
3 | – | 1.7 | .333 | – | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| 1976–77 | Chicago
|
3 | – | 41.3 | .472 | – | .875 | 13.0 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 27.3 |
| 1980–81 | Milwaukee
|
7 | – | 24.3 | .400 | .000 | .857 | 6.7 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 11.7 |
| 1981–82 | Milwaukee
|
6 | – | 34.3 | .573 | .000 | .846 | 5.3 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 19.8 |
| 1985–86 | New Jersey
|
3 | 0 | 18.0 | .263 | .000 | .636 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 5.7 |
| Career | 22 | 0 | 25.4 | .466 | .000 | .832 | 5.9 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 13.7 | |
Family
Mickey Johnson is the uncle of journeyman former NBA forward Linton Johnson.[16]
References
- ^ "Chicago Bulls at Portland Trail Blazers Box Score, April 17, 1977 | Basketball-Reference.com".
- ^ "Portland Trail Blazers at Chicago Bulls Box Score, February 26, 1978 | Basketball-Reference.com".
- ^ "Indiana Pacers at Washington Bullets Box Score, January 30, 1980 | Basketball-Reference.com".
- ^ "Mickey Johnson Career High 6 Blocks". Statmuse.
- ^ "Mickey Johnson Stats | Basketball-Reference.com".
- ^ "'Other' Johnson Boosts Bucks to Series Tie". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Sixers' lowlights: When fans stayed home". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ "Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers Box Score, April 25, 1982 | Basketball-Reference.com".
- ^ "Uni Watch-Name variations worth turning around for a second look". January 14, 2014.
- ^ "Mickey Johnson Golden State Triple Double". Statmuse.
- ^ "'Other' Johnson Boosts Bucks to Series Tie". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Malcolm X College of Chicago". Archived from the original on June 8, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
- ^ "Meet the candidates: City Council, 24th Ward". WGN-TV. February 17, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
- ^ Spielman, Fran (June 20, 2022). "Who cares about all-in-the-family claims: Lightfoot picks Michael Scott Jr.'s sister to replace him as 24th Ward alderperson". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- user-generated source]
- ^ HORNETS: Behind the Numbers: Linton Johnson