Eddie Johnson (basketball, born 1959) facts for kids
Johnson (c. 1986)
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 1, 1959 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| High school | Westinghouse (Chicago, Illinois) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Illinois (1977–1981) |
| NBA Draft | 1981 / Round: 2 / Pick: 29th overall |
| Selected by the Kansas City Kings | |
| Pro career | 1981–1999 |
| Career history | |
| 1981–1987 | Kansas City / Sacramento Kings |
| 1987–1990 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1990–1993 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1993–1994 | Charlotte Hornets |
| 1994–1995 | Olympiacos |
| 1995–1997 | Indiana Pacers |
| 1997–1999 | Houston Rockets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 19,202 (16.0 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,832 (4.0 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,550 (2.1 apg) |
Edward Arnet Johnson (born May 1, 1959) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He played for 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also spent one year playing in the Greek Basket League.
Eddie Johnson played almost 1,200 games in the NBA. He scored a lot of points in his career. He is known for scoring the second-most points among players who never made it to an NBA All-Star Game. As of 2019, he was ranked 52nd in all-time points scored in the NBA. After his playing career, he became a TV analyst for the Phoenix Suns. He also co-hosts a radio show called NBA Today.
Contents
Early Life and College Basketball
Eddie Johnson grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He went to Westinghouse High School. After high school, he attended the University of Illinois. He studied history there.
In 1981, the Kansas City Kings picked him in the 1981 NBA draft. Fans of the Fighting Illini team remember him for a special game-winning shot. He made this shot against Michigan State University. At that time, Michigan State was the number one team in the country. They had a future NBA star named Earvin "Magic" Johnson on their team. Illinois was also undefeated with a 14–0 record. Eddie's shot helped Illinois win and become 15–0. This win made Illinois the number two team in the nation.
In 2004, Eddie Johnson was chosen for the "Illini Men's Basketball All-Century Team." In 2019, he was also inducted into the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing in the NBA
Eddie Johnson played for several NBA teams. These included the Kings, Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, and Houston Rockets. He also played for a Greek team called Olympiacos for one season.
He scored 19,202 points in 1,199 NBA games. This was a very high total when he retired in 1999. Even with all those points, he was never chosen for an NBA All-Star game. His biggest award was the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1989. He won this award while playing for the Phoenix Suns. This award goes to the best player who usually comes off the bench.
Playing in Europe
In the 1994–95 season, Johnson played for Olympiacos Piraeus in the Greek Basket League. He quickly became a favorite among the fans. They loved his amazing shooting, especially from the 3-point line.
One game made him a legend for the club's fans. It was a semi-final game in the 1995 Final Four. He scored four 3-pointers in the last few minutes. This helped Olympiacos win against their big rivals, Panathinaikos Athens. Olympiacos won that game 58–52. However, they lost in the final game to Real Madrid Teka.
Eddie Johnson did win a championship in the Greek Basket League. He helped Olympiacos win the 1995 Greek playoff finals. They beat Panathinaikos 3–2 in the series. The final game was very close, with Olympiacos winning 45–44.
Return to the NBA
After playing in Greece, Eddie Johnson came back to the NBA. He started the 1995–96 season with the Indiana Pacers. Later, he joined the Houston Rockets.
He is also remembered for a game-winning shot in the 1997 Western Conference Finals. He hit a three-pointer as time ran out. This shot gave the Rockets a 95–92 win over the Utah Jazz. He played two more seasons for the Rockets before retiring in 1999.
Life After Basketball
After his playing career, Eddie Johnson became a color commentator for basketball games. He has worked for Arizona State and the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury. Currently, he is a TV analyst for the Phoenix Suns.
He is also a motivational speaker. He has even released an instructional DVD about basketball skills. Eddie Johnson also writes articles for Hoopshype.com. He enjoys sharing his ideas and discussing them with his readers.
Honors and Awards
College Basketball Honors
- 1979 – Honorable Mention All-Big Ten
- 1980 – Team MVP
- 1980 – 2nd Team All-Big Ten
- 1981 – Team Captain
- 1981 – Team MVP
- 1981 – 1st Team All-Big Ten
- 2004 – Elected to the "Illini Men's Basketball All-Century Team"
- 2008 – Honored with one of the thirty-three honored jerseys at the State Farm Center. These jerseys recognize the best players in University of Illinois history.
- 2019 – Inducted into the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame
Career Statistics
NBA Statistics
| 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 |
Regular Season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 1,199 | 479 | 27.2 | .472 | .335 | .840 | 4.0 | 2.1 | .6 | .2 | 16.0 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 89 | 6 | 23.8 | .429 | .310 | .864 | 3.5 | 1.1 | .5 | .1 | 13.1 | |
FIBA European League 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 | PIR | Performance Index Rating |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–95 | Olympiacos | 18 | — | 35.1 | .432 | .387 | .850 | 4.6 | 1.8 | .7 | .0 | 21.9 | — |
College Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 121 | 94 | 28.8 | .454 | — | .671 | 6.9 | 1.7 | .6 | .2 | 14.0 | |
See also
In Spanish: Eddie Johnson (baloncestista) para niños
- List of National Basketball Association career games played leaders
