Larry Johnson

Larry Johnson was a forward basketball player in the NBA and played with the Charlotte Hornets and the New York Knicks. As a student Johnson studied at the Odessa College and moved to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) where he played for the UNLV basketball team called the Running Rebels. It was here that Johnson along with upcoming NBA stars Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony bagged the 1990 NCAA Championship. His excellent skills with the ball also won him the acclaimed John R Wooden Award in 1991. The same year he was also named the Naismith College Player of the year.

After the Charlotte Hornets drafted him in 1991, there was no stopping Johnson and he soon won the NBA Rookie of the year award in 1992. Johnson was the first Hornet to get selected in the NBA All Star Game in 1993. He made his transition from a power player to an all rounder with astounding passing and shooting skills. By 1994 Johnson?s future was looking remarkable and signed the richest contract in NBA history, an $84 million 2 year contract with the Hornets. However it turned out to be a disappointing season for Johnson who missed 31 games owing to a back injury. After what might have been the end of his career Larry sprung back in action much to the delight of his fans and was a part of the Dream Team who represented the USA in the World Championship of Basketball. In the 81 games that he played for the USA he has an average of 18.8 ppg and 7.2 rpg. In 1995-96 he made a comeback to the 20-point scorer charts with an average of 20.5 ppg and was at the 17th position in the NBA. In 1996 the New York Knicks obtained Johnson form the Hornets. Johnson?s career saw a slow downslide after he joined the Knicks and owing to his persistent back problem, he announced his untimely retirement from the NBA in 2001.