OT- RIP Dennis Johnson

[inGobwetrust]

A great player from an era when the NBA was still fun to watch. You will be missed, DJ.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=43DrapEn5QA


Former NBA star Dennis Johnson dies
By Jim Vertuno, AP Sports Writer | February 22, 2007

AUSTIN, Texas --Dennis Johnson, the star NBA guard who was part of three championship teams, died Thursday after collapsing at the end of practice. He was 52. Johnson, coach of the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League, died at a hospital, D-League spokesman Kent Partridge said.

Mayra Freeman, a spokeswoman for the Travis County medical examiner's office, said there will be autopsy.

Johnson, a five-time All-Star and one of the great defensive guards, played on title teams with the Boston Celtics and Seattle SuperSonics. He played 14 seasons, retiring after the 1989-90 season. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1979 with Seattle, with his other titles coming with Boston in 1984 and 1986.

Johnson finished off one of the more famous plays in NBA playoff history. In Game 5 of the 1987 conference finals against Detroit, Larry Bird stole an inbounds pass and hit a streaking Johnson for the winning layup.

"Dennis was a great player, one of the best teammates I ever had, and a wonderful person," said Bird, now president of the Indiana Pacers. "My thoughts and condolences are with his family at this difficult time."

Johnson was a tough player with a reputation for delivering in big games.

"I hate to lose," he once said. "I accept it when it comes, but I still hate it. That's the way I am."

He averaged 14.1 points and 5.0 assists. When he retired, he was the 11th player in NBA history to total 15,000 points and 5,000 assists. Johnson made one all-NBA first team and one second team. Six times he made the all-defensive first team, including five consecutive seasons (1979-83).

Johnson was born Sept. 18, 1954, in Compton, Calif. He played in college at Pepperdine and was drafted by Seattle in 1976. Johnson was traded to Phoenix in 1980 and Boston in 1983.



© Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company

[stevep]

oh man,
what a bummer. he was a young guy.
jeez.

[Bill Bove]

DJ, DJ, DJ!!!

[chrisroph]

wow, what a shame. He was a star and should have ben in the sweet spot of a comfortabel retirement.

[coylifut]

he was a very important player in era. he was way too young.

[RIHans]

Larry Legend, McCale, Chief, Parish, Ainge, and DJ. And some great roll players. Long live DJ in Celtics memory.

[stevep]

Larry Legend, McCale, Chief, Parish, Ainge, and DJ. And some great roll players. Long live DJ in Celtics memory.

that was basketball at its greatest.

[RIHans]

that was basketball at its greatest.
But ...You bein' from Mass and all... 1964-65 team
Russell, Sharman, Havlacek, Sanders, Heinson, Sanders, et all...The best TEAM ever? And I'm talkin' TEAM.

[RIHans]

A tip of the hat to Red , also.

[Bill Bove]

I only feintly remember Havlacek stealing the ball but Larry and gang are burned into my mind.

Tommy Heinson and that short guy from Wistah are the all time best announcing team though :D

[atmo]

I only feintly remember Havlacek stealing the ball but Larry and gang are burned into my mind.

Tommy Heinson and that short guy from Wistah are the all time best announcing team though :D
short guy from wistah?

[RIHans]

However, lately...Maybe Danny Ainge has some mojo up his sleeve. But lets not forget the reason for the thread...DJ, and I'm 2 years older.

[atmo]

and I'm 2 years older.
no way atmo.

[stevep]

short guy from wistah?

the announcer with a lisp.
short guy, couldnt jump over a cigarette pack.
2 handed set shot that wouldnt get you on the jr high team.
but a great captain.... the cooooooz

[bironi]

Pre-Boston days, he won the MVP for the Seattle Supersonics championship team in 1979. :beer:

[atmo]

the announcer with a lisp.
short guy, couldnt jump over a cigarette pack.
2 handed set shot that wouldnt get you on the jr high team.
but a great captain.... the cooooooz
helloooooooooooo -
in st albans, queens, ny they also think
of him as their own atmo...


he can't be from 2 places.

[stevep]

helloooooooooooo -
in st albans, queens, ny they also think
of him as their own atmo...


he can't be from 2 places.

atmo,
i whited out queens from my map of ny. not there anymore.
hes from boston man.
boston.
woostah is whited out too...
nice tool that.
maybe ill try it on iraq.

[RIHans]

Pre-Boston days, he won the MVP for the Seattle Supersonics championship team in 1979. :beer:
Another DJ fan, and I am one, chimes in.

[atmo]

atmo,
i whited out queens from my map of ny. not there anymore.
hes from boston man.
boston.
woostah is whited out too...
nice tool that.
maybe ill try it on iraq.
u r preaching to the choir.
i raced with a celtics sweatband on my wrist
for about a decade in the late 80s early 90s.
best franchise ever atmo. but of course, i'm
len biased atmo.

[RIHans]

Forgive Me....Wooosta Celtic (are there any other?) Fans...My oversite.

[Bill Bove]

Luv da Cooz :D :beer: :D

But back to DJ, lot's of great memories. Really sad.

[RIHans]

Yes there is one and, once again, ATMO is correct. St.Albins it is. But you are closer to NYC than we, on several levels.

[atmo]

Yes there is one and, once again, ATMO is correct. St.Albins it is. But you are closer to NYC than we, on several levels.
neener atmo -

[big shanty]

Pretty sad....he was trying to get into pro coaching. I will remember him for being a vital cog to those Celtics teams, and for the nice freckles.

[SBash]

Wow! that's a shocker and so young. I remember him so well during that era, and went to many games. What a great team with Sikma, Fred Brown, Lonnie Shelton, Gus Williams, JJ, DJ and others.

[crf]

I remember Johnson from the Sonics in the late seventies. They traded him to Phoenix for a veteran Paul Westphal, which to a degree sunk the Sonics. Westphal was a better scorer, but Johnson was a lot younger and better at everything else. That he emerged as a star with Phoenix and a great complement to the Larry Celtics really proved the point. Auerbach had a genius for building a great support staff around the big three. Danny Ainge is lost in space.

[William]

Pre-Boston days, he won the MVP for the Seattle Supersonics championship team in 1979. :beer:

DJ & JJ!! :banana: . I was pretty young then but I remember watching the J's taking the Super Sonics all the way baby. I lived in Bellevue then. Running around downtown happy as a pig in ..... you know...when they won. I'm sorry to hear of his passing, but it also brings back good memories for me. I guess that's a good legacy to have: To make people happy in remembering you.

RIP DJ.


William




PS: Any one remember Slick Watts?

[Ozz]

DJ & JJ!! :banana: . I was pretty young then but I remember watching the J's taking the Super Sonics all the way baby.... I'm sorry to hear of his passing, but it also brings back good memories for me. I guess that's a good legacy to have: To make people happy in remembering you.

RIP DJ.

PS: Any one remember Slick Watts?
+1

"Slick" is still around...I think he works for the Sonics in "Community Relations"...his son played for the Huskies...not sure if he ever made it to the NBA.

[72gmc]

It's nice to reminisce and so forth, but in general this thread feels like an excuse to put some new tributes on the Larry altar. So if you'll excuse me:

DJ WAS A CHAMPION AND FINALS MVP BEFORE HE EVER BECAME A CELTIC. HE WAS ALREADY A STAR WITH NO HELP FROM LARRY.

Thanks. I feel better now.

[vaxn8r]

It's nice to reminisce and so forth, but in general this thread feels like an excuse to put some new tributes on the Larry altar. So if you'll excuse me:

DJ WAS A CHAMPION AND FINALS MVP BEFORE HE EVER BECAME A CELTIC. HE WAS ALREADY A STAR WITH NO HELP FROM LARRY.

Thanks. I feel better now.
+ a google.

[Sandy]

But ...You bein' from Mass and all... 1964-65 team
Russell, Sharman, Havlacek, Sanders, Heinson, Sanders, et all...The best TEAM ever? And I'm talkin' TEAM.

Those older Celtic teams were what TEAM basketball is all about. I really enjoyed watching that type of basketball. It would be hard to argue against choosing the above TEAM as the best TEAM ever.


Super Scoring Serotta Sandy

[steelrider]

Man, that is sad news. As other folks have said, that was from another era. It wasn't even that long ago, but the NBA used to be fun to watch. People passed the rock and even played defense before the last minutes of the game. DJ hustled and played with a lot of heart. He will be missed.

[chuckroast]

I hate sounding like a retro grouch, especially since we lost our team 20 years ago (Kings), but the game was different then, it was fun to watch, it was interesting and DJ was a part of it. Sorry to lose that connection to the past and very sorry for his loved ones.

[stevep]

slick watts reminds me of atmo.
short and bald,
who remembers world b. free?

ah, the ( not so ) old days.

[stevep]

I remember Johnson from the Sonics in the late seventies. They traded him to Phoenix for a veteran Paul Westphal, which to a degree sunk the Sonics. Westphal was a better scorer, but Johnson was a lot younger and better at everything else. That he emerged as a star with Phoenix and a great complement to the Larry Celtics really proved the point. Auerbach had a genius for building a great support staff around the big three. Danny Ainge is lost in space.

the 1,200th time red auerbach picked the pocket of some other idiot general manager.
"hmmm, paul wstphal, you're right red, he would fit in here... and i think you're right... dj is on a slide... thanks, red...you've really helped..."

hahaha.
they are safe now, probably.

robert parish and larry bird for joe barry carroll...hahaha,
roll over red and have a laugh!

[steelrider]

slick watts reminds me of atmo.
short and bald,
who remembers world b. free?

ah, the ( not so ) old days.

Born in SF, grew up in B-Town (Berkeley). World B. Free is the definition of a streak shooter. When he was on, watch out. He could launch anything and it would go in. He shot the lights out of the Coliseum of many a night. Another great example is Sleepy Floyd. I remember him lighting up the Lakers for 50 some odd points once. The down side of streak shooters, is that when they are cold, man, you can't score in a whorehouse with a $100 bill in your pocket.