Mickey Johnson facts for kids
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Johnson at a Summer 2015 youth clinic
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 31, 1952 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| High school | Lindblom Technical (Chicago, Illinois) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Aurora (1970–1974) |
| NBA Draft | 1974 / Round: 4 / Pick: 56th overall |
| Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Pro career | 1974–1986 |
| Career history | |
| 1974–1979 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1979–1980 | Indiana Pacers |
| 1980–1982 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1982–1983 | New Jersey Nets |
| 1983–1984 | Golden State Warriors |
| 1985–1986 | New Jersey Nets |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 12,748 (14.1 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 6,465 (7.2 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,677 (3.0 apg) |
Wallace Edgar "Mickey" Johnson was born on August 31, 1952. He is an American former professional basketball player. Mickey played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for many years. He was known for his skills as a forward and center.
Contents
Mickey Johnson's Basketball Career
Starting His Journey in Basketball
Mickey Johnson went to Lindblom High School in Chicago. After high school, he played college basketball at Aurora College. He was a tall player, standing 6 feet 10 inches. He played as a forward and center.
In 1974, the Portland Trail Blazers picked Mickey in the NBA draft. This was the fourth round of the 1974 NBA draft. But the Blazers quickly traded him to the Chicago Bulls.
Playing for the Chicago Bulls
As a rookie with the Bulls, Mickey Johnson scored about 3.8 points per game. He got much better very quickly. By his second season, he became a regular player in the Bulls' starting lineup.
Mickey was good at scoring and grabbing rebounds. In the 1976–77 season, he averaged 17.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. On April 17, 1977, he scored a playoff-high 34 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. This was against the Portland Trail Blazers, the team that first drafted him.
The next season, he averaged 18.3 points and 9.1 rebounds. On February 26, 1978, he scored 30 points and got 21 rebounds in a close game.
Moving to Other NBA Teams
In 1979, Mickey Johnson joined the Indiana Pacers. He had his best scoring season with them, averaging 19.1 points per game. On January 30, 1980, he had an amazing game. He scored 41 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and made 8 assists. A few weeks later, he set a career high with 6 blocks in one game.
Later, on September 11, 1980, the Pacers traded Mickey to the Milwaukee Bucks. He helped the Bucks have a great season, winning 60 games. In the 1981 NBA Playoffs, he led the Bucks to a win against the Philadelphia 76ers. He scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in that game.
In the 1982 NBA Playoffs, Mickey continued to play well. He scored 28 points in a playoff game against the 76ers. His coach, Don Nelson, praised his defense. Mickey Johnson and his teammate Marques Johnson were the first NBA players to have their full names on their jerseys. This was because they shared the same first initial and last name.
Mickey also played for the New Jersey Nets and Golden State Warriors. On March 10, 1983, while with the Warriors, he achieved a triple double. This means he had double-digit numbers in three different stats: 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. He retired from basketball in 1986. He finished his career with 12,748 points and 6,465 rebounds.
During his NBA career, teammates called him "Rubberman." This was because he could stretch his body to grab rebounds and block shots.
After His Playing Career
After retiring from playing, Mickey Johnson became a basketball coach. He coached the men's basketball team at Malcolm X College in Chicago.
Mickey Johnson and Community Involvement
Involvement in Politics
Mickey Johnson has also been involved in his community through politics. In 2015, he ran for alderman in Chicago's 24th Ward. An alderman is a local government official. He did not win that election. In 2022, he was considered for the same position but was not chosen.
In 2017, Mickey Johnson spoke about Colin Kaepernick. He called Kaepernick a "patriot." He was talking about how Kaepernick used peaceful protests to bring attention to important issues like institutional racism in America.
Mickey Johnson's 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
| 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 Connections
Mickey Johnson is the uncle of another former NBA player, Linton Johnson. Linton was also a journeyman forward in the league.
