Amir Johnson

Amir Jalla Johnson is a professional basketball player from the United States of America who plays as a power forward. A natural athlete, Johnson began playing basketball since a young age and by the time he hit Westchester High School, he was a star. Johnson decided to forego college and declare for the NBA Draft and was picked by the Detroit Pistons at the 2005 NBA Draft. Johnson was the last high school player to be picked for the NBA as a new rule came in to focus from the 2006 edition, requiring American players to be removed by at least one year upon graduating from high school.

Despite being a part of the roster for the Pistons, Johnson played just 3 games, scoring a windmill dunk against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the highlight of the season. The following year, Johnson was sent to the Fayetteville Patriots, in the NBA Development League, where he played for a couple of months before being recalled to the Pistons. Most of the 2006-07 season was spent in the D-League with the Sioux Falls skyforce, for Johnson, and he ended up winning a Player of the Week award, averaging 18.9 points per game with 9.7 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game in the season.

Despite signing a 3-year deal with the Pistons in July 2007, Johnson struggled for playing time, getting an average of 13 minutes per game over the two seasons. Eventually, in June 2009, he was traded out to the Milwaukee Bucks before moving to the Toronto Raptors a few months later.