Dennis Johnson was a member of several successful Boston Celtics teams. Johnson’s name must be mentioned when discussing the top players in the Celtics organization.
He remained active in basketball even after he retired. When he died in 2017, it was a devastating loss to the NBA and the Celtics organization.
Taking a Look Back at Dennis Johnson’s Career
Johnson played for two clubs before becoming one of the Celtics’ all-time greats. The Seattle SuperSonics selected Johnson in the second round of the 1976 NBA draft. He spent his first four years in Seattle, where he progressed year after year.
He was a member of the SuperSonics team that won the 1979 NBA Finals during his third season. He averaged 15.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game that season.
Johnson could play point guard or shooting guard and was extremely flexible on the floor.
Johnson had a breakout year in 1978-79 when he was named to his first All-Star team and the All-Defensive First Team. In five games, he averaged 22.6 points, six rebounds, and six assists and was awarded Finals MVP.
Johnson had a lot of success in Seattle, and it carried over when he joined the Phoenix Suns for the 1980-81 season. He was named to his third straight All-Star squad in his debut season with the Suns and finished the season averaging 18.8 points. Johnson was on his way to becoming the league’s best player at the time.
The Suns reached the Western Conference Semifinals in Johnson’s first two seasons. When he was in Phoenix, Johnson rapidly established himself as the primary scoring option. He was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first and only time during his Suns career.
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The tragic death of Dennis Johnson shocked the NBA world
Johnson remained with the Celtics organization after his playing career, working as a scout for the team. He joined the Celtics as an assistant coach in 1993 and remained there until 1997. In 2000, he was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers, and he was the interim head coach for 24 games near the close of the 2002-03 season.
Johnson also coached in the CBA and had several NBA Development League head coaching posts. He had a heart attack and fell at the end of a session in 2007 while working as the head coach of the Austin Toros. He was brought to the hospital but was unable to be revived, and he was declared dead. He was running practice the next minute, and then he was gone. Everyone in the NBA was shocked and couldn’t believe what had transpired. Johnson’s legacy will live on in the NBA, and he will be remembered as one of the game’s all-time greats
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Dennis Johnson has agreed to join the Boston Celtics.
Johnson joined a Celtics team that included Hall of Fame forwards Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, as well as Hall of Fame center Robert Parish, in 1983. Johnson was an excellent fit for the team, which had been recognized as one of the best in the league for several seasons.
Johnson’s role changed when he joined the Celtics. He transitioned from a high-scoring shooting guard to a playmaking point guard.
Johnson readily accepted the job after playing alongside some of the NBA’s all-time greats.
In his first season in Boston, his point average dropped to 13.2 points per game. He played his role on the squad as a genuine point guard, and he put his team in the greatest position to win games. The Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals in 1984, when they faced the Los Angeles Lakers.
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The rivalry between the two teams is among the most intense in sports history. Johnson performed an excellent job defending Magic Johnson as the Celtics upset the Lakers 4-3.
In 1986, Johnson won his third overall title and his second with the Celtics, defeating the Houston Rockets. He’d conclude his career in Boston and go down as one of the all-time greats. Johnson finished his career with 14.1 points, five assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. His No. 3 jersey was retired by the Celtics, and he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.