George T. Johnson facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 18, 1948 Tylertown, Mississippi, U.S. |
| High school | Gulledge (Tylertown, Mississippi) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Dillard (1966–1970) |
| NBA Draft | 1970 / Round: 5 / Pick: 79th overall |
| Selected by the Chicago Bulls | |
| Pro career | 1972–1986 |
| Career history | |
| 1972–1977 | Golden State Warriors |
| 1977 | Buffalo Braves |
| 1977–1980 | New Jersey Nets |
| 1980–1982 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1982–1983 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1984–1985 | New Jersey Nets |
| 1985–1986 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 4,369 (4.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 5,887 (6.5 rpg) |
| Blocks | 2,082 (2.5 bpg) |
George Thomas Johnson (born December 18, 1948) is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a tall player at 6 feet 11 inches. He played as a power forward and center. George Johnson played for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
He played for several teams during his career. These teams included the Golden State Warriors, Buffalo Braves, New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, and Seattle SuperSonics.
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George Johnson's Basketball Career
George Johnson was an important player for the Golden State Warriors. He helped them win the NBA Championship in 1975. He was known for his great defense. Throughout his career, he collected 5,887 rebounds. Rebounds happen when a player grabs the ball after a missed shot.
Johnson was also very good at blocking shots. He led the NBA in blocked shots per game three times. This means he stopped opponents from scoring more than any other player in those seasons. He was even named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1980–81. He blocked at least 10 shots in a single game six times!
Unique Achievements in the NBA
George Johnson made NBA history with a special achievement called a "five-by-five." This means a player gets at least 5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, and 5 blocks in one game. He was the first player ever to do this. Only twelve players in NBA history have achieved a five-by-five.
On March 26, 1978, George Johnson had an amazing game. He scored 15 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. He also had 5 assists, 5 steals, and 7 blocks. This helped his team win against the Washington Bullets.
Playing for the San Antonio Spurs
In the 1981–82 season, Johnson started 62 games for the San Antonio Spurs. He helped the Spurs win their division. They also reached the Western Conference finals. However, they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. After this, the Spurs decided to get a new center. This led to the end of George Johnson's time with the team.
Shooting Free Throws Differently
George Johnson had a unique way of shooting free throws. He shot them underhanded, like a granny shot. He was inspired to do this by his teammate, Rick Barry, who also used this method.
NBA Career 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 Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–73 | Golden State | 56 | – | 6.2 | .410 | – | .412 | 2.5 | 0.1 | – | – | 1.6 |
| 1973–74 | Golden State | 66 | – | 19.6 | .483 | – | .551 | 7.9 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 6.1 |
| 1974–75† | Golden State | 82 | – | 17.5 | .476 | – | .659 | 7.0 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 4.4 |
| 1975–76 | Golden State | 82 | – | 21.3 | .484 | – | .673 | 7.6 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 4.9 |
| 1976–77 | Golden State | 39 | – | 15.3 | .487 | – | .806 | 5.4 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 4.4 |
| 1976–77 | Buffalo | 39 | – | 27.1 | .448 | – | .687 | 10.3 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 7.6 |
| 1977–78 | New Jersey | 81 | – | 29.8 | .395 | – | .719 | 9.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 3.4* | 8.7 |
| 1978–79 | New Jersey | 78 | – | 26.4 | .427 | – | .761 | 7.9 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 6.6 |
| 1979–80 | New Jersey | 81 | – | 26.2 | .457 | .000 | .706 | 7.4 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 3.2 | 7.2 |
| 1980–81 | San Antonio | 82 | – | 23.6 | .473 | – | .734 | 7.3 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 3.4* | 5.0 |
| 1981–82 | San Antonio | 75 | 62 | 21.0 | .467 | – | .672 | 6.1 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 3.1* | 3.0 |
| 1982–83 | Atlanta | 37 | 0 | 12.5 | .439 | – | .737 | 3.2 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 1.7 |
| 1984–85 | New Jersey | 65 | 0 | 12.3 | .532 | 1.000 | .815 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| 1985–86 | Seattle | 41 | 0 | 6.4 | .522 | – | .688 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Career | 904 | 62 | 20.0 | .451 | .500 | .694 | 6.5 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 4.8 | |
Playoff Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Golden State | 9 | – | 5.0 | .400 | – | .250 | 1.6 | 0.3 | – | – | 1.4 |
| 1975† | Golden State | 17 | – | 18.9 | .571 | – | .593 | 7.4 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 2.4 | 5.2 |
| 1976 | Golden State | 13 | – | 20.1 | .574 | – | .737 | 6.7 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 5.8 |
| 1979 | New Jersey | 2 | – | 35.0 | .667 | – | .333 | 12.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 3.5 | 14.5 |
| 1981 | San Antonio | 7 | – | 23.6 | .462 | – | .700 | 9.0 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 4.4 |
| 1982 | San Antonio | 9 | – | 19.4 | .500 | – | .600 | 5.1 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| 1983 | Atlanta | 1 | 0 | 4.0 | – | – | – | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Career | 59 | 0 | 17.7 | .551 | – | .618 | 6.1 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 4.2 | |
See Also
- List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders
- List of National Basketball Association annual blocks leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with most rebounds in a game
- List of National Basketball Association players with most blocks in a game
