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Mickey Johnson

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For the Bermudian diver, see Mickey Johnson (diver). For other people with similar names, see Michael Johnson.
Mickey Johnson
Johnson at a Summer 2015 youth clinic
Personal information
Born (1952-08-31) August 31, 1952 (age 72)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolLindblom Technical (Chicago, Illinois)
CollegeAurora (1970–1974)
NBA draft1974: 4th round, 56th overall pick
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
Playing career1974–1986
PositionPower forward
Number8, 3
Career history
1974–1979Chicago Bulls
1979–1980Indiana Pacers
1980–1982Milwaukee Bucks
1982–1983New Jersey Nets
1983–1984Golden State Warriors
1985–1986New Jersey Nets
Career NBA statistics
Points12,748 (14.1 ppg)
Rebounds6,465 (7.2 rpg)
Assists2,677 (3.0 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference

Wallace Edgar "Mickey" Johnson (born August 31, 1952) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Career

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Basketball

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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 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 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] Just a couple weeks later, on February 14 during a 118–114 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Johnson set a career high with 6 blocks in a single game, while also adding 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists.[4] 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).[5] After finishing the season with a record of 60–22, the Bucks would face the Philadelphia 76ers during 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 New Jersey Nets and Golden State Warriors during his career. On March 10, 1983, while on the Warriors, Johnson recorded a 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.[6]

He later became the head men's basketball coach at Malcolm X College in Chicago.[11]

Politics

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In 2015, Johnson unsuccessfully ran in an open race for alderman from Chicago's 24th Ward.[12] 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.[13]

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.[14]

NBA career statistics

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Legend
  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

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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

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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

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Mickey Johnson is the uncle of journeyman former NBA forward Linton Johnson.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "Chicago Bulls at Portland Trail Blazers Box Score, April 17, 1977 | Basketball-Reference.com".
  2. ^ "Portland Trail Blazers at Chicago Bulls Box Score, February 26, 1978 | Basketball-Reference.com".
  3. ^ "Indiana Pacers at Washington Bullets Box Score, January 30, 1980 | Basketball-Reference.com".
  4. ^ "Mickey Johnson Career High 6 Blocks". Statmuse.
  5. ^ "Mickey Johnson Stats | Basketball-Reference.com".
  6. ^ a b "'Other' Johnson Boosts Bucks to Series Tie". The Washington Post.
  7. ^ "Sixers' lowlights: When fans stayed home". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  8. ^ "Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers Box Score, April 25, 1982 | Basketball-Reference.com".
  9. ^ "Uni Watch-Name variations worth turning around for a second look". January 14, 2014.
  10. ^ "Mickey Johnson Golden State Triple Double". Statmuse.
  11. ^ "Malcolm X College of Chicago". Archived from the original on June 8, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
  12. ^ "Meet the candidates: City Council, 24th Ward". WGN-TV. February 17, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ https://www.facebook.com/Friends-for-Wallace-E-Mickey-Johnson-130179603697357/ [user-generated source]
  15. ^ HORNETS: Behind the Numbers: Linton Johnson
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