Ervin Johnson facts for kids
.JPG)
Johnson in 2010
|
||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | December 21, 1967 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
|||||||||||||
| High school | Block (Jonesville, Louisiana) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | New Orleans (1989–1993) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1993 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23rd overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1993–2006 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 1993–1996 | Seattle SuperSonics | |||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Denver Nuggets | |||||||||||||
| 1997–2003 | Milwaukee Bucks | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Minnesota Timberwolves | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Milwaukee Bucks | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 3,473 (4.1 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 5,148 (6.1 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Blocks | 1,087 (1.3 bpg) | |||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Ervin Johnson Jr. (born December 21, 1967) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He played as a center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1993 to 2006. Ervin played for teams like the Seattle SuperSonics, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Minnesota Timberwolves. After his playing career, he became a community ambassador for the Denver Nuggets.
Contents
Early Life and Discovery
Ervin Johnson grew up in Jonesville, Louisiana. He went to Block High School and played basketball there. However, he stopped playing in 10th grade.
A few years after high school, Ervin was working at a supermarket in Baton Rouge. During this time, he grew taller by 8 inches! A friend suggested he try out for the New Orleans Privateers college team. The team needed a tall player. The coach, Tim Floyd, was so impressed that he offered Ervin a scholarship right away, even though Ervin hadn't played basketball in years.
College Basketball Career
Ervin Johnson played for the University of New Orleans (UNO) Privateers. During his time there, the team won 87 games. They even made it to the NCAA tournament twice!
When he finished college, Ervin had set many records for UNO. He was the second-highest scorer in the team's history with 1,608 points. He was also first in field goal percentage (59%) and first in total rebounds with 1,287. He also had 294 blocks, which was a team record.
College Awards and Recognition
Ervin received many awards during his college career. He was named All-American South Conference for the 1990–1991 season. He also earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors in 1991–1992 and was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year in 1992–1993.
In 1993, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NABC All-America Game. To honor his achievements, UNO retired his jersey number, 40, on December 29, 1997. This means no other player on the team will wear that number.
Professional Basketball Career
Standing 6 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 245 pounds, Ervin Johnson was chosen by the Seattle SuperSonics as the 23rd pick in the 1993 NBA draft. He then played for several NBA teams. These included the Sonics, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Milwaukee Bucks.
Key Moments in the NBA
In 1996, while playing for the Sonics, Ervin had a great game against the Timberwolves. He scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. That same year, Ervin and the Sonics made it all the way to the NBA Finals. They played against the Chicago Bulls but lost the series.
The next season, Ervin joined the Denver Nuggets. On December 20, he had an amazing game against the Vancouver Grizzlies. He scored 19 points, grabbed 20 rebounds, and blocked 5 shots! That year, he led the entire league in defensive rebounds.
Ervin was later traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He played a very important role for the Bucks during their 2000–2001 season. He helped them reach the Eastern Conference Finals. In one playoff game against the Charlotte Hornets, he grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds. He played in every game of that playoff run.
Three years later, Ervin was 36 years old and playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He again played a key part in his team's deep playoff run. The Timberwolves made it to the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ervin returned to the Milwaukee Bucks for one more season. He retired from professional basketball after the 2006 NBA playoffs. Throughout his NBA career, he played 845 regular season games. He averaged 4.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.
Life After Playing Basketball
After retiring from playing, Ervin Johnson continued to be involved in basketball. He became a community ambassador for the Denver Nuggets. In this role, he helps connect the team with the local community. He also hosts basketball clinics in Colorado. These clinics teach children the basic skills of basketball.
See also
In Spanish: Ervin Johnson para niños
