From the time he was young former Waves’ basketball superstar Dennis Johnson knew he had to be different. Not only was it tough distinguishing himself amidst a family of 16 children but growing up in a place where violent crime and broken households were as inevitable as Saturday morning cartoons. For Johnson being different meant a way out.
Raised in rundown Compton Calif. Johnson leaned on his talents as a way of ceasing the ever-present stagnation of the south L.A. suburb. Though ultimately leading to the basketball path those talents had little to do with dribbling passing or scoring. Johnson had a passion and a determination to work hard and play with heart no matter the circumstances. His basketball skills were limited but his attitude and work ethic were unparalleled. Little did Johnson know that his commitment would eventually pay off in ways once unthinkable to him— decades later he would be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame.
Even Johnson’s early days at Dominguez High School unveiled a glimpse of his athletic— and indeed life— philosophy. Basketball skills he illustrated could be taught; the talents and knack for the game he possessed could not. He struggled to even find a spot on the varsity team until his senior year. There wasn’t much demand for a scrawny 5-foot-9 point guard. But Johnson’s career was far from over.
That was all thanks to Jim White Head Coach of Los Angeles Harbor Junior College. White first noticed Johnson on the street courts of Compton and invited him to play for the school. Two years at LAHC and one state championship later Johnson found himself in unfamiliar territory. He was a man without a stable job and with a sorry excuse for a jump shot. One school though saw through to the intangibles— the skills that don’t show up in the box score— the skills necessary to become a legendary player.
Pepperdine University offered Johnson a full-ride basketball scholarship in the fall of 1975 and he packed his bags for Malibu. Johnson and the Waves were ranked No. 20 by the Associated Press in its final poll and made it to the NCAA Tournament in what was one of Pepperdine’s most successful basketball years. Johnson’s success at Pepperdine transferred into a selection in the 1976 NBA draft when the Seattle Supersonics chose him in the 29th overall pick. The Sonics would later go on to win the NBA title in 1979 with Johnson receiving the Finals MVP Award.
Of course Johnson is most widely recognized and remembered for his seven-year stint with the Boston Celtics during which time he played alongside the likes of Larry Bird Robert Parish Kevin McHale Danny Ainge and Bill Walton. Johnson won two more NBA titles and was considered the backbone of the Celtics squad. In “Sports Illustrated Bird, not known for issuing easy compliments, once gave Johnson the highest of praise, calling him the best I’ve ever played with.”
The glamour of NBA stardom had transcended on Johnson in what would have been but a dream back in the early years in Compton. The pint-sized superman in short shorts became a 6-foot-4 defensive machine. Johnson’s quick hands and feet made him a lethal weapon and a certifiable terror toward the end of a game during a full-court press. He learned how to lead a fast break and even hit open three-pointers from the wing but it was his contagious competitive nature and desire to win that molded Johnson into a legendary player.
He was even once quoted as saying “I’m a winner. I put my heart into the game. I hate to lose. I accept it when it comes but I still hate it. That’s the way I am.”
Many considered Johnson one of the most underrated players the game has ever seen and definitely one who played with an astounding amount of heart.
“Anyone who ever played with or against Dennis Johnson knew that no one competed harder former Boston Celtics General Manager Jan Volk told ESPN . And the bigger the game the better he played.”
Clutch was Johnson’s middle name. If the game was tied with inside of two minutes left every fan wanted the ball in his hands.
It only seems fitting then that Johnson will go out a winner one last time. On Aug. 13 in Springfield Mass. Johnson will be posthumously inducted to the NBA Hall of Fame at long last. He passed away Feb. 27 2007 following a basketball game in which he was coaching in Austin Texas.
Johnson was anything but ordinary— and he proved his differences both on and off the hardwood. He played the game the way it was meant to be played— with Heart and Fervor. He just needed an Opportunity in the middle to show it. And now he’ll forever be immortalized in Massachusetts as a member of the HOF.
