Straight Outta Compton to the Hall of Fame
Dennis Johnson wasn’t going to the NBA. Hell, he wasn’t even going to play in college.
Coach Jim White asked DJ to come play at LA Harbor College, a 2-year college which lead him to Pepperdine University where he developed into a tough defender with huge leaping ability. Drafted 29th by Seattle in 1976, he played for legends Bill Russell and Lenny Wilkens. Helping the Sonics win the 1979 NBA Title, DJ was named Finals MVP. Traded to Phoenix after the 1980 season, Johnson changed his game from a scoring 2-guard to an all-out scoring machine. When Phoenix traded him to Boston following the 1983 campaign, DJ changed his game again, becoming a pass-first point guard. The Celtics won titles in 1984 & 1986 before Johnson retired after the 1990 season. The Celtics retired Johnson’s #3 in December of 1991.
Johnson passed away in 2007.
His nephew, Nick, was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the 2nd round of the 2014 draft. The Rockets recently traded Johnson to the Denver Nuggets as part of a deal for Ty Lawson.