Frank Johnson (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Franklin Lenard Johnson (born November 23, 1958 in Weirsdale
, Florida
) is a retired American professional basketball
player and coach.
, Johnson was selected in the first round of the 1981 NBA Draft
with the 11th pick by the Washington Bullets
. He played point guard in the NBA for the Bullets (1981-1988), the Houston Rockets
(1988-89) (he signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets
, but they traded him to the Rockets before he played in any games for them). He also played for the Phoenix Suns
(1992-94) where his principal role was to relieve star Kevin Johnson
. He was selected from the Rockets by the Orlando Magic
in the 1989 expansion draft
, but was waived before the 1989-90 season started. He played 650 games in the NBA (regular season and playoffs), with regular season career averages of 8.3 PPG and 4.2 APG in 21.6 minutes.
He played professionally in Italy for Ranger Varese
(1989-91, played in the finals of the Italian Championship in 1990) and Marr Rimini
(Serie A2, 1991).
for almost two seasons beginning February 17, 2002, before he was fired on December 10, 2003 and replaced by assistant Mike D'Antoni
. The official reason for the firing was routine—the team had performed poorly in 2003-04
--but at least one local news source reported that some of Johnson's personal behavior caused a minor scandal for the Suns ownership. He had worked as an assistant coach with the Suns beginning late in the 1996-97 season under Danny Ainge
and Scott Skiles
before being promoted.
also played in the NBA. He spent more than eight seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, and closed out his career with a stints in Cleveland and Seattle. Eddie was a three-time (1980-82) All-Star while with the Hawks, and is often confused with another Eddie Johnson (played for Kansas City, Phoenix, Seattle, Indiana, Charlotte and Houston from 1981-1998) from that time.
Weirsdale, Florida
Weirsdale is a town in Marion County, Florida, United States. It is located near the intersection of State Road 25 and State Road 42. The community is part of the Ocala Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Weirsdale is located at ....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
) is a retired American professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and coach.
Playing career
After playing collegiately for Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
, Johnson was selected in the first round of the 1981 NBA Draft
1981 NBA Draft
The 1981 NBA Draft was the 35th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 9, 1981, before the 1981–82 season. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the USA Network. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball...
with the 11th pick by the Washington Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
. He played point guard in the NBA for the Bullets (1981-1988), the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
(1988-89) (he signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, but they traded him to the Rockets before he played in any games for them). He also played for the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
(1992-94) where his principal role was to relieve star Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson
Kevin Maurice Johnson is the current mayor of Sacramento, California. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns...
. He was selected from the Rockets by the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
in the 1989 expansion draft
Expansion draft
An expansion draft, in professional sports, occurs when a sports league decides to create one or more new expansion teams or franchises. This occurs mainly in North American sports. One of the ways of stocking the new team or teams is an expansion draft...
, but was waived before the 1989-90 season started. He played 650 games in the NBA (regular season and playoffs), with regular season career averages of 8.3 PPG and 4.2 APG in 21.6 minutes.
He played professionally in Italy for Ranger Varese
Pallacanestro Varese
-Notable players:-Notable coaches: Aleksandar Nikolić Nico Messina Sandro Gamba Edoardo Rusconi Joe Isaac Carlo Recalcati Valerio Bianchini Ruben Magnano-Sponsorship names:Through the years, due to sponsorship deals, it has been also known as:...
(1989-91, played in the finals of the Italian Championship in 1990) and Marr Rimini
Basket Rimini Crabs
The Basket Rimini Crabs are a Italian basketball team from the city of Rimini.Basket Rimini was established in 1947 as Polisportiva Libertas...
(Serie A2, 1991).
Coaching career
Johnson coached the Phoenix SunsPhoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
for almost two seasons beginning February 17, 2002, before he was fired on December 10, 2003 and replaced by assistant Mike D'Antoni
Mike D'Antoni
Michael Andrew "Mike" D'Antoni is an Italian-American former basketball player and is currently the head coach of the NBA's New York Knicks. While head coach of the Phoenix Suns, he won NBA Coach of the Year honors for the 2004–05 NBA season after the Suns posted 33 more wins than the previous...
. The official reason for the firing was routine—the team had performed poorly in 2003-04
2003-04 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves*Rookie of the Year: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers*Defensive Player of the Year: Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers...
--but at least one local news source reported that some of Johnson's personal behavior caused a minor scandal for the Suns ownership. He had worked as an assistant coach with the Suns beginning late in the 1996-97 season under Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge
Daniel Ray "Danny" Ainge is an American basketball manager and retired professional basketball and baseball player, currently serving as President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics....
and Scott Skiles
Scott Skiles
Scott Allen Skiles is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and former American professional basketball player. He also is the former head coach of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns. Skiles holds the NBA record for assists in one game, with 30...
before being promoted.
Family
Johnson's brother EddieEdward Johnson, Jr.
Edward Lee "Fast Eddie" Johnson, Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'2" guard from Auburn University, Johnson played 10 seasons in the NBA, mainly as a member of the Atlanta Hawks...
also played in the NBA. He spent more than eight seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, and closed out his career with a stints in Cleveland and Seattle. Eddie was a three-time (1980-82) All-Star while with the Hawks, and is often confused with another Eddie Johnson (played for Kansas City, Phoenix, Seattle, Indiana, Charlotte and Houston from 1981-1998) from that time.