Avery Johnson facts for kids
Johnson coaching Alabama in 2016
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 25, 1965 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| High school | St. Augustine (New Orleans, Louisiana) |
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 1988 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1988–2004 |
| Coaching career | 2004–2019 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1988 | Palm Beach Stingrays |
| 1988–1990 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1990 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1991 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1992 | Houston Rockets |
| 1992–1993 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1993–1994 | Golden State Warriors |
| 1994–2001 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2001–2002 | Denver Nuggets |
| 2002–2003 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2003–2004 | Golden State Warriors |
| As coach: | |
| 2004–2005 | Dallas Mavericks (assistant) |
| 2005–2008 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2010–2012 | New Jersey / Brooklyn Nets |
| 2015–2019 | Alabama |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As coach:
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 8,817 (8.4 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,751 (1.7 rpg) |
| Assists | 5,846 (5.5 apg) |
Avery DeWitt Johnson (born March 25, 1965) is an American basketball television commentator, former player, and coach. He used to be the head coach for the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team. Today, he works as an analyst for CBS Sports, sharing his knowledge about NBA and college basketball.
Johnson played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 16 years. After that, he became a head coach for two NBA teams: the Dallas Mavericks and the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets. He led the Mavericks to their first-ever NBA Finals and helped them win more than 50 games for three years in a row. During his time as a player, people called Johnson the "Little General." This was because he was shorter than most NBA players, but he was a great leader as a point guard. He was also good friends with his former San Antonio Spurs teammate David Robinson.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
College Basketball Journey
In 1983, when Avery Johnson was a senior in high school, he led his team, St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, to an amazing 35–0 record. They even won the Class 4A Louisiana State Championship!
After high school, Johnson played at New Mexico Junior College and then Cameron University. He finished his college career at Southern University. In his senior year (1988), he led all NCAA Division I players with an incredible 13.3 assists per game. This was a record that stood for a long time! He also scored 11.4 points per game that season. This made him the first player in men's Division I history to average double figures in both points and assists in the same season.
Even with his amazing college stats, Johnson was not chosen in the 1988 NBA draft.
Amazing College Records
- Most assists per game in a career: 12.0 (He played for 2 seasons).
- Most assists per game in a single season: 13.3.
- He had 399 total assists in 30 games as a senior, which is the most ever.
- Most assists in a junior season: 333.
- Most assists per game in a junior season: 10.74.
- Most games with 20 or more assists in a career: 4.
- He did this in only 2 seasons. Only one other player has done it twice, but it took them 4 seasons.
- Most games with 20 or more assists in a season: 2.
- He did this twice, in both his junior and senior seasons.
Professional Basketball Teams
Early NBA Years (1988–1994)
After playing for the Palm Beach Stingrays in 1988, Johnson joined the Seattle SuperSonics for the 1988–89 season. He then played for the Denver Nuggets and the San Antonio Spurs. In January 1991, he signed with the Spurs and played 47 games, averaging 9.4 points and 5.4 assists.
Johnson later played for the Houston Rockets before returning to the Spurs in 1992. He became a starter and improved his game, averaging 8.7 points and 7.5 assists. In 1993, he signed with the Golden State Warriors and was named team captain. He had a career-high of 10.9 points per game with the Warriors.
San Antonio Spurs Champion (1994–2001)
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Avery Johnson played a very important part for the San Antonio Spurs from 1994 to 2001. He was a key player on the team that won the NBA championship in 1999 against the New York Knicks. Johnson made the winning shot in Game 5 with only 47 seconds left, which secured the championship for the Spurs!
To honor his contributions, the Spurs retired Johnson's jersey number 6 on December 22, 2007. This means no other player on the team will ever wear that number again. He was also added to the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
After the Spurs (2001–2004)
After leaving the Spurs, Johnson signed with the Denver Nuggets in 2001. He played 51 games before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2002. He played as a reserve for the Mavericks for a season and a half. In 2003, he was traded back to the Golden State Warriors. Johnson finished his NBA playing career with the Warriors in the 2003–04 season.
Life After Playing Basketball
Coaching the Dallas Mavericks
On October 28, 2004, Avery Johnson stopped playing basketball and became an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks. It was clear from the start that he was being prepared to become the head coach. Just five months later, on March 19, 2005, he became the head coach after Don Nelson resigned.
Under Johnson, the Mavericks finished the 2004–05 season very strongly, winning 16 out of 18 games. He was even named the NBA Coach of the Month in April 2005, just one month after becoming a head coach!
The 2005–06 season was even better for Johnson and the Mavericks. He won his second NBA Coach of the Month award in November 2005. On January 28, 2006, Johnson became the fastest coach to reach 50 wins. In February 2006, he was chosen to coach the Western Conference team in the 2006 NBA All-Star Game. In April 2006, he won the NBA Coach of the Year Award for his great success.
In June 2006, Johnson led the Mavericks to their first-ever NBA Finals appearance. They beat tough teams like the Memphis Grizzlies, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Phoenix Suns. However, they lost to the Miami Heat in six games, after winning the first two.
On December 31, 2006, Johnson became the fastest head coach to win 100 games. In the 2006–07 season, his Mavericks had the best record in the NBA with 67 wins. But they were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors.
Johnson became the fastest coach to reach 150 wins on November 18, 2007. After the 2007–08 season, the Mavericks lost in the first round of the playoffs again. The next day, April 30, 2008, Johnson was no longer the head coach of the Mavericks.
Working for ESPN (First Time)
On October 17, 2008, Johnson joined ESPN as a studio analyst. He worked there for two seasons, sharing his basketball insights.
Coaching the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets
On June 10, 2010, Johnson was hired as the head coach of the New Jersey Nets. The team had a very tough season before he arrived, winning only 12 games. In his first year, the team improved a bit, winning 24 games.
Johnson stayed with the Nets when the team moved to Brooklyn in 2012. He was named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for October and November 2012 because the team started the season with 11 wins and only 4 losses. However, the team then lost 10 of their next 13 games, and Johnson was let go from his coaching job on December 27, 2012.
Working for ESPN (Second Time)
In 2013, Johnson returned to ESPN. He appeared as an analyst on shows like SportsCenter, NBA Coast to Coast, and NBA Tonight.
Coaching at Alabama
On April 5, 2015, it was announced that Avery Johnson would become the new head basketball coach at the University of Alabama. The university officially hired him the next day. After losing in the first round of the 2019 National Invitation Tournament, Alabama and Johnson decided to go their separate ways.
Personal Life
Avery Johnson is married to Cassandra, and they have two children, Avery Jr. and Christianne. Avery Jr. even played for the Alabama basketball team when his father was the coach! Johnson is a Christian. He also had a small appearance in the movie Eddie.
Images for kids
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Johnson coaching Alabama in 2016
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Johnson as the head coach of the Mavs, 2008
See also
In Spanish: Avery Johnson para niños
