A college standout at Nevada-Las Vegas, Larry Johnson burst onto the NBA scene as the 1992 Rookie of the Year. He entered the league as a power player but has developed into an all-around performer who has learned to complement his inside game with a nice shooting touch and surprising passing skills.
After five years with the Charlotte Hornets, Johnson was dealt to the New York Knicks in the summer of 1996. After a season of adjustment, Johnson seemed to regain some of his earlier form in 1997-98 and again in 1998-99 when he helped pick up some of the scoring and rebounding slack caused by Patrick Ewing's wrist and Achilles injuries. His improbable four-point play with 5.7 seconds remaining in Game 3 of the Conference Finals against Indiana was one of the big plays in the Knicks' surge to the 1999 Eastern Conference Championship.
Johnson had a sterling college career. After averaging 26.0 points in two seasons at Odessa Junior College in Texas, he transferred to UNLV. Johnson formed part of a powerhouse UNLV squad, teaming with Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony to capture the 1990 NCAA Championship. In two seasons with the Runnin' Rebels, Johnson averaged better than 20 points and 10 rebounds each year. As a senior in 1990-91 he was The Sporting News College Player of the Year and the winner of both the Naismith and Wooden Awards. The Charlotte Hornets selected him with the first overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft. Johnson made the transition to the pros without a hitch. The NBA Rookie of the Year in 1992, he finished 11th in the league in rebounding (11.0 rpg) and averaged 19.2 points.
Joined by Alonzo Mourning in his second season, Johnson led the Hornets to their first playoff berth ever and set a Charlotte franchise record by pouring in 1,810 points. He finished 12th in the league in scoring (22.1 ppg) and 13th in rebounding (10.5 rpg). A starter at the 1993 All-Star Game, he ended the season as a member of the All-NBA Second Team. Johnson also led the league in minutes played and appeared in all 82 games for the second straight season. Prior to the 1993-94 season, Johnson's future was so bright that the Hornets signed him to the richest contract in NBA history. The season turned into a nightmare, however, as he missed 31 games with a back injury that threatened to derail his career. Some wondered if Johnson would ever return to his previous form. He allayed their fears by charging back in 1994-95.
After a stint on the Dream Team at the World Championship of Basketball, he played in 81 games and averaged 18.8 points and 7.2 rebounds in nearly 40 minutes per game. He added a reliable three-point shot to his repertoire and returned to the All-Star Game. He climbed back into the ranks of 20-point scorers in 1995-96, averaging 20.5 ppg to place 17th in the NBA, and he erased fears about his back by playing in 81 games for the second consecutive season.
In the summer of 1996, the Knicks, looking for a scorer to complement Patrick Ewing, obtained Johnson from Charlotte in a trade for Anthony Mason and Brad Lohaus. It turned out to be a rough transition for Johnson, who averaged a career-low 12.8 ppg as he got used to playing on a team whose offense revolved around Ewing, but he played better late in the season and had a solid playoff series against his former Charlotte teammates. With Ewing limited to 26 games due to a wrist injury, Johnson came on to average 15.5 ppg and 5.7 rpg in 1997-98, much closer to his Charlotte numbers. He averaged 12.0 ppg and 5.8 rpg in 1998-99, but again helped pick up the slack when Ewing was hurt late in the season and in postseason. He hit the game-winning four-point play in the first playoff game Ewing missed, giving New York a 2-1 lead over Indiana and turning the momentum in those Conference Finals in favor of the Knicks.
1999-2000 NOTES
Johnson was placed on the injured list with a pinched nerve in his back on Nov. 27. He totaled 16 points and a team-high 12 rebounds in an 80-74 loss in Boston on Nov. 12, and scored a game-high 24 points, grabbing 7 rebounds in a 92-84 victory over Cleveland on Nov. 2.
1998-99 NOTES
Despite knee and back injuries, Johnson played in 49 games, all but one as a starter, and averaged 12.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.68 steals in 33.4 minutes per game. He shot .459 from the field, .359 from three-point range and .817 from the free throw line. His scoring average was the lowest of his eight pro seasons. Johnson ranked second on the team in rebounding, third in three-point accuracy, fourth in scoring, three-point field goals (33) and free throw accuracy and fifth in assists. He led the Knicks in rebounding six times, scoring five times and assisting four times. He posted season-highs of 23 points at Miami on April 25, 15 rebounds against Miami on February 7 and seven assists on two occasions. He scored in double figures 33 times and grabbed 10 rebounds five times, registering three double-doubles.
Johnson started all 20 games in the playoffs, averaging 11.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.05 blocks per game. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring and second in rebounding, and his 24 three-pointers and 82 attempts both led the club. He starred in one of the brightest moments of the Knicks' postseason, hitting a four-point play with 5.7 seconds left to give New York a 92-91 victory over Indiana in Game 3 of the Conference Finals, the first game Patrick Ewing had to sit out due to his torn Achilles. That shot gave the Knicks a 2-1 lead in the series, turned momentum in their direction and restored team confidence that had been tested by Ewing's loss. The Knicks went on to beat the Pacers in six games for the Eastern Conference Championship before bowing to San Antonio in five games in the NBA Finals.
Johnson scored 20-or-more points 5 times and led the Knicks in scoring in 5 games. He scored his 10,000th career point, recording a team-high 23 points (10-13 FG) and 5 rebounds, in an 82-80 win over the Miami Heat on April 25. He scored 12 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished 7 assists against the Washington Wizards on April 14, and totaled a game-high 22 points (9-14 FG), 4 rebounds and 3 assists in a 93-78 victory over the New Jersey Nets on April 11. He posted 20 points (8-12 FG, 4-5 3FG) and 3 rebounds in a 113-89 victory over the L.A. Clippers on March 16, and registered 21 points (3-4 3FG), 5 rebounds and 3 assists in a 108-102 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on March 15. Johnson recorded a team-high 19 points (8-13 FG), 7 rebounds and 3 assists against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 9, and totaled 22 points (8-11 FG, 5-5 FT), 6 rebounds and 6 assists in a 115-113 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 25. He posted 13 points, 15 rebounds and 3 assists against the Miami Heat on Feb. 7.
1997-98 NOTES
Johnson played and started 70 games for the Knicks and was one of the key players in picking up the slack after Patrick Ewing went down with a wrist injury 26 games into the season, even though he missed a dozen games himself due to ankle injuries. Johnson averaged 15.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, second on the team in both categories (not including Ewing). He shot .485 from the field and .756 from the foul line and gave New York a low-post presence in Ewing's absence.
For his first 17 games, to the point of Ewing's injury, Johnson averaged 11.8 ppg and 3.8 rpg and shot .462. Over his final 53 games he averaged 16.7 ppg and 6.3 rpg and shot .491. He averaged 16.1 ppg in January, 18.2 ppg in February and 16.6 ppg in March. Johnson scored 35 points, the most by any Knicks all season, in 45 minutes in a win over Miami on February 1 that was nationally televised by NBC. He had a season-high 14 rebounds, with 19 points, against Golden State on February 24. He led the Knicks in scoring 16 times and rebounding 14 times, getting 20 points 21 times and 10 rebounds nine times. In the playoffs, Johnson averaged 17.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.25 steals per game, ranking second on the team in scoring and third in rebounding and steals.
1996-97 NOTES
Johnson averaged a disappointing 12.8 points, a career-low, in his first season with the Knicks, but ranked 18th in the NBA in field goal percentage at .512. He also averaged 5.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists, also career-lows, although his play improved as the season wore on.
Johnson played and started 76 games, missing five games due to a pulled left hamstring and one due to a suspension for throwing a punch at Miami's Keith Askins on Dec. 6. He posted four double-doubles in 1996-97, including three in the season's last 12 games. He scored a season-high 28 points in a 101-97 loss to Philadelphia on Nov. 12 and grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds, including nine off the offensive boards, in a 93-84 loss to Orlando on April 4. He also scored 25 points in that game against Orlando. Johnson averaged 13.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in nine playoff starts for the Knicks, shooting a team-high .558 from the field. He scored 20 points in the opener of the First Round playoff series against Charlotte and had 22 points in Game 3 to close out a sweep of his former team.
1995-96 NOTES
Johnson broke the 20-point mark for the second time in his career as he averaged 20.5 points per game to rank second on the Hornets behind Glen Rice and 17th in the NBA. He also tied with Matt Geiger for the team lead in rebounding at 8.4 per game, 27th in the NBA.
Johnson, who had been hampered by a back injury in 1993-94, played in 81 games for the second season in a row, missing only the Dec. 11 game at Utah due to a sprained right ankle. He played 40.4 minutes per game, sixth highest in the league. Johnson scored 20 points or more on 47 occasions, had 27 games with double figure rebounds and led or tied for the team lead in scoring 39 times and rebounding 33 times. He notched 30 double-doubles and posted the fifth triple-double of his career with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Dallas on March 7.
Johnson set a franchise record by scoring a career-high 44 points against Boston on Nov. 22 and set another franchise mark by playing 55 minutes in a double-overtime win at Denver on March 26. He scored 30 points or more in three consecutive games for the first time in his career on Nov. 11-14 and set career highs in free throws made (427) and attempted (564). He grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds against Cleveland on Jan. 29 and ranks as the Hornets' all-time leading rebounder and second all-time scorer behind Dell Curry. Following the season he was traded to New York for Anthony Mason and Brad Lohaus.
1994-95 NOTES
Johnson returned from the back injury that had plagued him in 1993-94 with a fine season, helping the Charlotte Hornets to a franchise-record 50 wins. Although he was not quite the overwhelming inside force he had been in his first two seasons, he compensated by displaying a fine all-around game. The No. 2 scorer on the club at 18.8 points per game, Johnson was second in rebounding (7.2 rpg) and second in assists (4.6 apg). His total of 369 assists set a career high and ranked third among NBA forwards. He also developed a formidable three-point shot. Entering the season, he had made a total of 28 three-pointers during his NBA career; in 1994-95 he sank 81 attempts. His .386 three-point percentage was fourth best on the club. He also showed the durability that had characterized his first two seasons as he chalked up 3,234 minutes to finish third in the NBA.
Johnson logged a handful of memorable games during the year. On November 11, he grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds. On January 1, he logged the fourth triple-double of his career with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sixteen days later he tied a club record by draining 6 three-pointers on the way to a career-high 39-point effort against the New York Knicks. He passed for a career-high 12 assists against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 25. Johnson also made his second All-Star Game appearance, collecting 7 points and 4 rebounds in 20 minutes of action. The Hornets entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing with a 50-32 record. Charlotte then fell to the Chicago Bulls in a four-game first-round series. In the four playoff games, Johnson averaged 20.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in 43.0 minutes per game.
1993-94 NOTES
The fortunes of the Charlotte Hornets in 1993-94 were clearly tied to the medical conditions of their two best players, Larry Johnson and center Alonzo Mourning. Hampered by a back sprain that occurred on December 27 against the Detroit Pistons, Johnson, the former NBA Rookie of the Year, missed 31 games. The club went 9-22 in his absence and 17-8 after his March 10 return. Because of the injuries to Johnson and Mourning (who missed 22 games), the Hornets narrowly missed making their second consecutive trip to the playoffs. However, Johnson did manage some notable performances. In that December 27 game against Detroit, he recorded one of the finest efforts in franchise history with his and the club's third triple-double: 29 points, 20 rebounds, and 11 assists (tying his career best). It marked the third time in Johnson's career that he had tallied at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game, and it was the sixth such effort in franchise history.
Johnson also blitzed the Orlando Magic with 31 points on April 14. The December 28 game at Cleveland turned out to be the first missed game of Johnson's career. Prior to that, Johnson had played and started in 184 consecutive games, the third-longest streak in the league. In the summer of 1994 Johnson helped Dream Team II to a gold medal at the World Championship of Basketball in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
1992-93 NOTES
Johnson was voted to the All-NBA Second Team after averaging 22.1 points and 10.5 rebounds in 82 appearances. He ranked 12th in the league in scoring and 13th in rebounding, setting a Hornets single-season record with 1,810 total points. Johnson and Charles Barkley were the only players in the league to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists in the 1992-93 season.
Johnson became the first Hornets player to appear in an NBA All-Star Game when he was voted by NBA fans to start for the East squad. He played 16 minutes, scoring 4 points and grabbing 4 rebounds. Johnson became Charlotte's all-time leading rebounder in only his second NBA season. He recorded back-to-back triple-doubles-the first two in club history-against Minnesota on March 18 (11 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) and at Indiana on March 19 (21 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists). Johnson led the team in scoring 36 times and in rebounding 47 times. He had a team-record 49 double-doubles for the year.
Johnson had his best month in December, averaging 26.9 points and 10.4 rebounds and shooting .565 from the floor. He led the Hornets to their first-ever postseason berth, averaging 19.8 points in nine playoff games before Charlotte was eliminated by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
1991-92 NOTES
Larry Johnson was the consensus National College Player of the Year in 1991 after leading the University of Nevada-Las Vegas to its second straight NCAA Final Four. He was the cornerstone of a UNLV juggernaut that also included future NBA players Greg Anthony and Stacey Augmon. The Charlotte Hornets won the NBA Draft Lottery in 1991 and selected Johnson with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft. He achieved instant NBA success both on and off the court. He was named the 1991-92 NBA Rookie of the Year, edging out Denver's Dikembe Mutombo, and he captured the hearts of many an NBA fan with his engaging personality and his famous "Grandmama" television commercials.
Johnson averaged 19.2 points in his first NBA season, ranking second on the Hornets behind Kendall Gill (20.5 ppg). He led the team in rebounding, averaging 11.0 boards per contest while appearing in all 82 games. He finished the season as the highest-scoring and second-highest rebounding rookie in the NBA. He ranked 11th among all NBA rebounders, becoming the first Charlotte player ever to average 10 or more rebounds for a season. A powerful inside player and an explosive dunker, Johnson competed in the Slam-Dunk Championship at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Orlando, finishing runner-up to Cedric Ceballos.
