Amir Johnson

Last updated
Amir Johnson
Amir Johnson 2356420803 (cropped).jpg
Personal information
Born (1987-05-01) May 1, 1987 (age 36)
Los Angeles, California
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight253 lb (115 kg)
Career information
High school Verbum Dei
(Los Angeles, California)
Westchester
(Los Angeles, California)
NBA draft 2005: 2nd round, 56th overall pick
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Playing career2005–2022
Position Power forward / center
Number5, 15, 25, 90
Career history
As player:
2005–2009 Detroit Pistons
2006→Fayetteville Patriots
2007→Sioux Falls Skyforce
2009–2015 Toronto Raptors
2015–2017 Boston Celtics
2017–2019 Philadelphia 76ers
2019→Delaware Blue Coats
2020–2022 NBA G League Ignite
As coach:
2023–2024 NBA G League Ignite (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at NBA.com
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at Basketball-Reference.com

Amir Jalla Johnson (born May 1, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who last served as an assistant coach for the NBA G League Ignite of the NBA G League. He has previously played for the Detroit Pistons, the team that selected Johnson in the second round of the 2005 NBA draft, as well as the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers.

Contents

Early life

Born in Los Angeles, Johnson grew up mainly in South Central Los Angeles, but also spent time as a child in Harbor City and Watts. Despite being tall and athletic, Johnson struggled to find a place on a high school basketball team. His freshman year was split at two schools (Pacific Hills, Narbonne), neither of which featured him on the court. From there, he enrolled at Verbum Dei High School, where he enjoyed a solid inaugural season of high school basketball as a sophomore in 2002–03. He then transferred to Westchester High School but was forced to sit out his junior year of 2003–04. He made up for lost time as a senior in 2004–05 as he was named the 2005 California Mr. Basketball after leading Westchester to a state title. He was subsequently named a McDonald's All-American and appeared in the 2005 Boys Game. [1]

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Johnson was listed as the No. 7 power forward and the No. 29 player in the nation in 2005. [2]

Despite committing to play for the University of Louisville, Johnson decided to skip college and declared for NBA draft. [3]

Professional career

Detroit Pistons (2005–2009)

Johnson was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 56th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. [4] He is the last direct from high school player to be selected in the NBA draft (until 2015 with Satnam Singh Bhamara), [3] as the NBA instituted a rule prior to the 2006 draft that requires American players to be at least one year removed from the graduation of their high school class to be eligible.

As a rookie for the Pistons, Johnson appeared in just three games during the 2005–06 season. He scored his first NBA basket on a windmill dunk against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 24, 2006. On February 27, 2006, he was assigned to the Fayetteville Patriots of the NBA Development League. After appearing in 18 games for the Patriots, he was recalled by the Pistons on April 17, 2006. That same day, he scored 18 points for the Pistons in their 20-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, making all six of his field goal attempts, both three-point attempts, and all four of his free throw attempts. [5]

Johnson spent most of the 2006–07 season playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League, where he earned Player of the Week honors for his play. [6] In 22 games for the Skyforce, Johnson averaged 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.1 blocks per game, while shooting 62.3% from the field. [7] Despite his strong D-League play, Johnson managed just eight games for the Pistons in 2006–07, averaging 5.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

On July 12, 2007, Johnson re-signed with the Pistons to a three-year, $12 million contract. [8] Over the next two seasons, Johnson played a total of 124 games for the Pistons as he became a valuable asset off the bench. He averaged 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 2007–08, and 3.5 points and 3.7 rebounds in 2008–09. He also averaged 1.1 blocks per game over the two seasons. [9]

Toronto Raptors (2009–2015)

On June 23, 2009, Johnson was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three three-team trade that also involved the San Antonio Spurs and Richard Jefferson. [10] He was later traded to the Toronto Raptors on August 18, 2009, along with Sonny Weems, in exchange for Carlos Delfino and Roko Ukić. [11]

On July 8, 2010, Johnson re-signed with the Raptors to a five-year, $34 million contract. [12] [13]

Johnson had a career-best season in 2012–13 as he averaged career-highs in minutes played (28.7 mpg), points (10.0 ppg), rebounds (7.5 rpg), assists (1.5 apg) and steals (1.0 spg). [9] With his continued rise in dominance and overall production, Johnson began to embrace the city of Toronto, quoting that "Toronto is part of me. I've been around, the people are very kind, I love it here." [14]

On December 8, 2013, Johnson scored a career-high 32 points in a 106–94 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. [15]

Boston Celtics (2015–2017)

On July 9, 2015, Johnson signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Boston Celtics. [16] [17] He made his debut for the Celtics in the team's season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 28, recording 15 points and 7 rebounds off the bench in a 112–95 win. [18] On January 13, 2016, he recorded 14 points and a season-high 18 rebounds in a 103–94 win over the Indiana Pacers. [19] On March 20, he scored a season-high 18 points in a 120–105 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. [20] He finished the 2015–16 season with averages of 7.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

On November 2, 2016, Johnson scored 23 points and hit a career-high four three-pointers in a 107–100 win over the Chicago Bulls. [21]

Philadelphia 76ers (2017–2019)

On July 8, 2017, Johnson signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. [22] On June 25, 2018, he was named the winner of the NBA Hustle Award during the 2018 NBA Awards. [23]

On July 16, 2018, Johnson re-signed with the 76ers. [24] On February 22, 2019, he volunteered to play for the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League because he had not appeared in a game for the 76ers since January 26. [25] [26]

On April 13, 2019, during a nationally televised playoff game between Philadelphia and the Brooklyn Nets, Johnson was caught by ESPN cameras sitting on the bench during the game taking a cell phone out of his pocket to show teammate Joel Embiid a text message, while the Sixers were trailing by ten points. Moments later, Johnson was removed from the bench and returned to the locker room. Johnson was not active for the game. [27] At the post game press conference, Embiid stated that Johnson's daughter was very ill and he just looked at the message. After the game, Johnson issued an apology through a statement and was fined an undisclosed amount by the 76ers for violating the NBA's rule against cell phones on the bench. Johnson did not re-sign with the team following the season.

NBA G League Ignite (2020–2022)

On November 12, 2020, Johnson was announced as addition to the NBA G League Ignite. [28] His spot on the roster was confirmed on February 1, 2021. [29]

On October 28, 2021, Johnson re-signed with the Ignite. [30]

Coaching career

On October 30, 2023, Johnson was hired as an assistant coach by the NBA G League Ignite. [31]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
 * Led the league

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2005–06 Detroit 3013.0.700.6671.0001.31.0.0.76.7
2006–07 Detroit 8015.5.545.000.7864.6.4.61.65.9
2007–08 Detroit 62012.3.558–.6733.8.5.41.33.6
2008–09 Detroit 622414.7.595–.6573.7.3.31.03.5
2009–10 Toronto 82*517.7.623.000.6384.8.6.5.86.2
2010–11 Toronto 725425.7.568.000.7876.41.1.71.29.6
2011–12 Toronto 644324.3.576.400.6906.41.2.51.17.1
2012–13 Toronto 813828.7.554.385.7277.51.51.01.410.0
2013–14 Toronto 777228.8.562.303.6366.61.5.71.110.4
2014–15 Toronto 757226.4.574.413.6126.11.6.6.89.3
2015–16 Boston 797622.8.585.233.5706.41.7.71.17.3
2016–17 Boston 807720.1.576.409.6704.61.8.6.86.5
2017–18 Philadelphia 741815.8.538.313.6124.51.6.6.64.6
2018–19 Philadelphia 51610.4.503.300.7562.91.2.3.33.9
Career87048521.1.570.332.6735.41.2.61.07.0

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2008 Detroit 805.4.750.000.5001.6.1.0.42.6
2009 Detroit 304.31.000––1.0.0.0.3.7
2014 Toronto 7727.3.654.000.7506.01.0.4.611.0
2015 Toronto 4228.0.690.000.5007.01.0.3.811.5
2016 Boston 6622.3.667.000.7787.2.7.21.38.5
2017 Boston 14910.1.500.333.6252.1.2.3.42.6
2018 Philadelphia 8111.8.524–.8002.91.1.3.13.3
2019 Philadelphia 405.01.000––1.3.5.3.02.0
Career542513.9.637.111.6543.5.6.2.54.9

Personal life

Johnson grew up in an athletic family. His sister, Indi, played forward for Southern University's women's basketball team, while his cousins, Kevin and Kaelin Burnett, both played linebacker in the NFL. [32]

Johnson is highly involved in community work, and regularly hosts back to school programs, visits local hospitals and pays for low income youth to attend games. [32] He is also known for his random acts of kindness. Shortly after the release of Drake's Nothing Was the Same album, Johnson bought all the copies from two local stores and handed them out to random pedestrians in Toronto. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Villanueva</span> American basketball player (born 1984)

Charlie Alexander Villanueva Mejia is a Dominican-American former professional basketball player who played for the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarrett Jack</span> American basketball player and coach

Jarrett Matthew Jack is an American professional basketball coach and former player and an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended four high schools in North Carolina, Maryland and Massachusetts before playing collegiately at Georgia Tech. He was selected with the 22nd overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets, before playing with the Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans, and New York Knicks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primož Brezec</span> Slovenian basketball player (born 1979)

Primož Brezec is a Slovenian retired professional basketball player. He is a 7 ft 1 in tall center. Brezec has played eight seasons in the NBA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. J. Miles</span> American basketball player (born 1987)

Calvin Andre "C. J." Miles Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the NBA G League Ignite of the NBA G League. A native of Dallas, Miles was drafted in 2005 by the Utah Jazz after finishing high school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Lowry</span> American basketball player (born 1986)

Kyle Terrell Lowry is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A six-time All-Star, he was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2016 and won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, their first and only title in franchise history. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Raptors players of all time due to his work with turning the franchise around, from the post-Vince Carter era to their first-ever championship in 2019. As starting point guard, Lowry played an integral role in the Raptors' success from 2012 to 2021. Lowry was also a member of the U.S. national team that won a gold medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeMar DeRozan</span> American basketball player (born 1989)

DeMar Darnell DeRozan is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans and was selected ninth overall by the Toronto Raptors in the 2009 NBA draft. He is a six-time NBA All-Star and a three-time All-NBA Team member. He spent nine seasons with the Raptors, including five playoff runs, before being traded to the San Antonio Spurs in the summer of 2018 and the Bulls in 2021. DeRozan played for the United States national team in the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonas Jerebko</span> Swedish basketball player (born 1987)

Jonas Jerebko is a Swedish professional basketball player for the Santeros de Aguada of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He was selected as the 39th overall pick in the second round of the 2009 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons, becoming the second Swedish-born basketball player to be selected in the NBA draft. Jerebko played a total of 10 seasons in the NBA with four different teams, the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Monroe</span> American basketball player (born 1990)

Gregory Keith Monroe Jr. is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 2010 NBA draft with the seventh overall pick and became the last Pistons player to wear the number 10 jersey, as the Pistons retired the number for Dennis Rodman in 2011. In his freshman season at Georgetown University, Monroe was named Big East Rookie of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Butler</span> American basketball player (born 1989)

Jimmy Butler III is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Jimmy Buckets" and "Playoff Jimmy", he is a six-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA Team honoree, and a five-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team honoree. He won a gold medal as a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jared Sullinger</span> American basketball player

Jared Sullinger Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Shenzhen Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for Ohio State University before being drafted 21st overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2012 NBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dario Šarić</span> Croatian basketball player (born 1994)

Dario Šarić is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He also represents the senior Croatia national team. He joined the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016 playing 2 seasons for the team before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. After a season with the team he was traded to the Phoenix Suns in the 2019 offseason and played 4 seasons for the team before being dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2023 trade deadline. That following offseason, he joined the Golden State Warriors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andre Drummond</span> American basketball player (born 1993)

Andre Jamal Drummond is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A center, he was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft with the ninth overall pick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Simmons</span> Australian basketball player (born 1996)

Benjamin David Simmons is an Australian professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one season with the LSU Tigers, after which he was named a consensus first-team All-American and the USBWA National Freshman of the Year. Simmons was selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. After sitting out a year due to an injured right foot, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2018 and was selected three times to the NBA All-Star Game. As the result of a holdout from the 76ers following the 2020–21 season, which led him to be traded to the Nets, Simmons is the most-fined player in NBA history, in terms of total financial loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Covington</span> American basketball player (born 1990)

Robert Covington is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Tennessee State Tigers and in 2018, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joel Embiid</span> Cameroonian basketball player (born 1994)

Joel Hans Embiid is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks, he was drafted third overall by the 76ers in the 2014 NBA draft. The 7-foot (2.1 m) Embiid is a seven-time NBA All-Star, a five-time member of the All-NBA Team, a three-time member of the All-Defensive Team, and a two- time NBA scoring champion. He was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T. J. McConnell</span> American basketball player (born 1992)

Timothy John McConnell Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duquesne Dukes and the Arizona Wildcats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Portis</span> American basketball player (born 1995)

Bobby Portis Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks, earning consensus second-team All-American honors as a sophomore in 2015. Portis was selected in the first round of the 2015 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls with the 22nd overall pick. He won an NBA championship with Milwaukee in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pascal Siakam</span> Cameroonian basketball player (born 1994)

Pascal Siakam is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A two-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection, he won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Siakam played college basketball for the New Mexico State Aggies and was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2016. Nicknamed "Spicy P", he was selected by Toronto with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donta Hall</span> American basketball player (born 1997)

Donta Hall is an American-born naturalized Azerbaijani professional basketball player for AS Monaco of the French LNB Pro A and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 NBA season</span> 76th NBA season

The 2021–22 NBA season was the 76th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 19, 2021, and ended on April 10, 2022. For the first time since the 2018–19 season, the NBA returned to its usual October to April regular season schedule after the previous two seasons were shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 NBA All-Star Game was played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on February 20, 2022. The play-in tournament was held on April 12–15, 2022. The 2022 NBA playoffs then began on April 16, and ended on June 16 with the Golden State Warriors defeating the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.

References

  1. ↑ ""The L.A. in my Game," with Amir Johnson". ESPN.com. August 18, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  2. ↑ Amir Johnson – Yahoo! Sports
  3. 1 2 "A Look at High School Players in the NBA Draft". Rivals.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  4. ↑ On-the-Job Training
  5. ↑ Amir Johnson 2005-06 Game Log
  6. ↑ Amir Johnson Named D-League Performer of the Week
  7. ↑ Amir Johnson D-League Stats
  8. ↑ "Sources: Pistons, forward Johnson agree to 3-year deal". ESPN.com. July 12, 2007. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  9. 1 2 Amir Johnson NBA & ABA Stats
  10. ↑ "MILWAUKEE BUCKS COMPLETE THREE-TEAM DEAL WITH SAN ANTONIO AND DETROIT". NBA.com. June 23, 2009. Archived from the original on June 27, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Raptors Acquire Johnson And Weems From Milwaukee". NBA.com. August 18, 2009. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Raptors Re-Sign Free Agent Amir Johnson". NBA.com. July 8, 2010. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  13. ↑ Koreen, Eric (July 1, 2010). "Amir Johnson re-signs with Raptors". NationalPost.com. Archived from the original on November 30, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  14. 1 2 Raptors' Amir Johnson says he's in love with Toronto
  15. ↑ "Notebook: Raptors 106, Lakers 94". NBA.com. December 8, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Boston Celtics Sign Amir Johnson". NBA.com. July 9, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  17. ↑ Chris Forsburg (2015-07-01). "Amir Johnson agrees to two-year deal worth $24 million with Celtics". espn.go.com. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
  18. ↑ "Thomas leads Celtics to 112-95 season-opening win over 76ers". NBA.com. October 28, 2015. Archived from the original on December 29, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Thomas, Celtics snap 4-game skid with 103-94 win over Pacers". NBA.com. January 13, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Thomas scores 26 points to help Celtics down 76ers 120-105". NBA.com. March 20, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Thomas, Johnson help lead Celtics past Bulls, 107-100". ESPN.com. November 2, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Sixers Sign Veterans JJ Redick And Amir Johnson". NBA.com. July 8, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Johnson Named Recipient Of 2017-18 NBA Hustle Award". NBA.com. June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Team Re-Signs Johnson". NBA.com. July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  25. ↑ Todd, Sarah (February 23, 2018). "Sixers' Amir Johnson keeps positive spirit by embracing G-League playing time". philly.com. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  26. ↑ "Jusuf Nurkic scores 24, Blazers beat Sixers 130-115". ESPN.com. February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Look: Joel Embiid, Amir Johnson caught checking cell phone during playoff game". 13 April 2019.
  28. ↑ "NBA Veterans Join NBA G League Ignite To Play Alongside Elite Prospects". NBA.com. November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  29. ↑ "NBA G League Ignite Roster". NBA.com. February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Ignite Announces Veteran Additions, Coaching Staff". OurSportsCentral.com. October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Ignite Announces Roster For The 2023-24 Season". NBA.com. October 30, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  32. 1 2 This Is Amir Johnson: The Biography
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.