Vinnie Johnson facts for kids

Vincent Johnson (born September 1, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player. He was a very important player for the Detroit Pistons. He helped the team win two National Basketball Association (NBA) championships in 1989 and 1990. People called him "the Microwave" because he could score points very quickly when he came into the game. He also played for the Seattle SuperSonics and San Antonio Spurs.

College Basketball Journey

Vinnie Johnson started his college basketball career in 1975. He played at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. He was a star player there for two years. In the 1976–77 season, he led his team to the national tournament. He scored an average of 29 points per game. He was also named a junior college All-American.

Playing for Baylor University

Johnson then moved to Baylor University for two seasons, from 1977 to 1979. He was one of the best scorers in Baylor basketball history. He averaged 24.1 points per game during his time there. Johnson was named an All-American twice. He holds the school record for the highest points-per-game average. He also scored 50 points in one game against TCU in 1979. This is still a Baylor record!

Professional Basketball Career

In 1979, the Seattle SuperSonics picked Vinnie Johnson as the 7th player in the NBA draft. He played for Seattle until November 1981. Then, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons.

Becoming "the Microwave"

During the 1982-83 NBA season, Johnson scored his career high of 15.8 points per game. He started in 51 of the 82 games he played. For most of his career, he was a key "sixth man." This means he came off the bench to help the team. He could play either point guard or shooting guard.

Boston Celtics player Danny Ainge gave him the nickname "the Microwave." This was because Vinnie could "heat up" the offense fast. He would score many points quickly when he entered the game.

Winning Championships with the Pistons

Vinnie Johnson was a big part of the Detroit Pistons winning two NBA championships. On June 14, 1990, he made a famous shot. With only 0.7 seconds left, he scored a 14-foot shot. This shot helped the Pistons beat the Portland Trail Blazers 92–90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. This win gave Detroit their second championship in a row! Because of this clutch shot, some people briefly called him "007."

Johnson left the Pistons after the 1990–91 season. He played one last season with the San Antonio Spurs before retiring from the NBA in 1992.

Jersey Retirement

The Detroit Pistons honored Vinnie Johnson by retiring his number 15 jersey. This means no other Pistons player will ever wear that number again. The ceremony happened on February 5, 1994. Johnson said it was a "huge honor" and showed he did "great things for the organization." He always wore number 15 because he looked up to basketball legend Earl Monroe.

Life After Basketball

After his basketball career, Vinnie Johnson started a company called Piston Automotive in 1995. This company became very successful. It supplies parts to big car companies like Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Johnson is the chairman and chief executive officer of the Piston Group. He also helps lead other joint venture companies.

Johnson is also involved in community work. He is a member of the Michigan Minority Business Development Council. He is also part of the Detroit Chamber of Commerce.

See also

In Spanish: Vinnie Johnson para niños

• Michigan Sports Hall of Fame