Kevin Johnson
Encyclopedia
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
. As a basketball player, he was a three-time NBA All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection who holds many records for the Phoenix Suns
franchise. At University of California, Berkeley
, Johnson had been a two-time All-Pac 10 Conference player who was also an honorable-mention All-American by the Associated Press
sportswriters. Johnson was a 2000 graduate of the Harvard Divinity School
Summer Leadership Institute, a program that prepares students for work in faith-based urban economic revitalization. He also has a B.A. in Political Science from UC Berkeley that he completed after his initial retirement from the NBA.
, he was raised by his grandparents, the Peat family. He attended Sacramento High School
, where he starred in both baseball and basketball and led the state of California in scoring during his senior year. (32.5 ppg).
. Playing all four seasons, Johnson ended his college basketball career in 1987 as the school's all-time leader in assists, steals, and scoring (since eclipsed by Lamond Murray
and Jerome Randle
). He was also the first player in the Pac-10 Conference to post a "triple-double" in statistics, and he was named to the Pac-10's all-conference First Team in both his junior and senior seasons, averaging 17.2 points and 5.0 assists in his final basketball season. His number 11 is retired. Originally drafted in 1986 to play professional baseball with the Oakland Athletics
as an infielder, Johnson spent his collegiate summers with the A's minor-league team in Modesto, California
, but after being advised by a scout that his future was in basketball, Johnson never looked back to baseball, and he was the seventh selection overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers
in the 1987 NBA Draft
.
to challenge the incumbent point guard Mark Price
of Georgia Tech for the starting spot, Johnson found himself on the bench as Price's backup during the 1987-88 NBA season
because Price significantly improved during training camp and convincingly won the starting job. On February 28, 1988, Johnson (along with his teammates Mark West and Tyrone Corbin
) was traded to the Phoenix Suns
in exchange for the forward Larry Nance, Mike Sanders, and a future draft pick. Phoenix also received a draft pick in the trade – one that was used the next season to select the Suns stalwart guard Dan Majerle
. Adjusting rapidly to the change of scenery and much-increased playing time, Johnson excelled, and he was named the NBA Rookie of the Month in April 1988, averaging 15.1 points, 10.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and an .864 free throw percentage for the month.
That next year in his first full season with Phoenix, Johnson emerged, averaging 20.4 points and 12.2 assists to win the NBA's Most Improved Player Award
. It was also the first of three straight seasons in which he averaged at least 20.0 points and 10.0 assists, joining Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas as the only players in league history to accomplish that feat for three consecutive seasons. From 1989 to 1991 he was selected to the All-NBA Second Team, earning Third Team honors in 1992 and Second Team honors again in 1994. KJ also was selected to the NBA All-Star Team in 1990, 1991, and 1994 and made the playoffs every year of his career after his rookie season. In the 1991 NBA All-Star Game
in Charlotte, KJ wore No. 41 instead of his familiar #7. NBC announcers Bob Costas
and Mike Fratello
speculated it was to honor teammate Mark West, who was not picked to participate in the 40th All-Star Game, despite his valuable contributions on the boards and in the trenches for the Suns on a nightly basis.
The 1992–93
Suns, led by Johnson (despite having missed 31 regular season games due to injury and rest and 2 after the NBA suspended him because of a brawl in a game vs. the New York Knicks) and Charles Barkley
, posted an NBA-best 62–20 record. Narrowly escaping first round elimination versus the Los Angeles Lakers
, the Barkley-led Suns managed to make it to the NBA Finals
, where they fell to the Michael Jordan
-led Chicago Bulls
in a four games to two game series. KJ averaged 17.8 points and 7.9 assists in the playoffs and established an NBA record for Finals minutes played by logging 62 minutes in Game 3 (a 129–121 triple OT victory) vs. the Bulls. In 1995, the injury-prone KJ was again slowed by injuries but returned to form for the post-season, averaging 24.8 points, 9.3 assists, a .573 field goal percentage, and a .500 three-point field goal percentage in 10 games, including a 46-point, 10-assist effort in a 115–114 Game 7 loss of the Western Conference Semifinals to the eventual champion Houston Rockets
. In Game 4 of the previous year's series with eventual champion Houston, in front of a capacity crowd in Phoenix, Johnson completed a remarkable dunk, driving from the baseline, over 7'0" Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon
. The shot became an oft-played highlight for the ages and was part of a second consecutive 38-point, 12-assist effort by the point guard.
, reuniting with old teammate and rival Mark Price to win the gold medal. Johnson led Dream Team II in both total assists and assists average (3.9 per game) while shooting .471 (16–34) from the field.
, but returned briefly during the 1999–2000 campaign
to replace the injured Jason Kidd
during the playoff run
. Johnson helped the Suns win their first playoff series in five years. After Phoenix lost in the second round to the Los Angeles Lakers, he retired for the second and final time.
In 2003, St. HOPE formed St. HOPE Public Schools, a pre-K-12 independent charter school system that provides education to nearly 2,000 students in seven small schools.
. Election day was June 3, 2008. Since no candidate received a majority of the vote in the nonpartisan
election, there was a runoff
.
Johnson garnered the endorsement of the Sacramento Police Officers Association (SPOA), the Sacramento Regional Builders Exchange
, the Chamber of Commerce, Realtors' Association and Labor Council, among others. Johnson was also endorsed by Sacramento City Council
members Steve Cohn (Vice Mayor) and Sandy Sheedy, and by former Sacramento Mayor Jimmie Yee.
On June 4, 2008, Kevin Johnson, who led by 8 percentage points, forced a runoff election for mayor versus the 2-term incumbent. 374 of 378 precincts were reported, and Johnson was ahead of Mayor Heather Fargo 47% to 40%. Five other candidates split the rest of the vote. The candidates needed more than 50% to win the election. Third place finisher Leonard Padilla endorsed Mayor Fargo on June 4, 2008. Johnson, by late May, loaned his campaign $500,000 and raised $490,000, while Fargo raised $340,000 despite having started fundraising in 2005.
Johnson and Fargo had a runoff election in November, won by Johnson.
. The allegations were investigated by local police, but no charges were filed, and the alleged victim recanted her story. On April 29, 2008, a group of female civic leaders including former Sacramento Mayor Ann Rudin, Sacramento Municipal Utility District board member Genevieve Shiroma, and former State Senator Deborah Ortiz demanded the release of the police report on the matter. The teacher to whom the student initially brought the complaint subsequently resigned over the incident, claiming, "St. HOPE sought to intimidate the student through an illegal interrogation and even had the audacity to ask me to change my story." Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel responded, saying, "I think the allegations at the school were handled in the way that you would want them handled. Immediately they followed all the normal protocols that they were supposed to follow. I think it was pretty clear there was nothing there... We did ask the young lady whether anyone had influenced her – her answer was no." The Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness said on May 30, 2008, that Johnson’s actions, though ill-advised, were not illegal.
Lawrence G. Brown
announced that St. HOPE Academy had agreed to pay $423,836.50 over ten years in settlement of allegations that it did not appropriately spend AmeriCorps
grants and education awards and did not adequately document spending of grants. The settlement amount represented one-half of the $847,673 in AmeriCorps funds received by St. HOPE Academy over three years from 2004 to 2007. Johnson, St. HOPE Academy’s founder and former CEO, agreed to pay $72,836.50 of St. HOPE Academy’s $73,836.50 initial payment. In settlement, St. HOPE Academy acknowledged not adequately documenting a portion of its AmeriCorps grant expenditures, and the Corporation for National and Community Service
terminated its September 24, 2008 suspension of St. HOPE Academy and Johnson from receiving federal funds, ending questions about Sacramento’s eligibility to receive federal stimulus
funds.
, the former Chancellor of the District of Columbia School System, on September 3, 2011, in front of 40 people at a Tennessee mountain resort. They had originally planned to get married the year before, but decided to postpone it in the wake of a large amount of media attention to their nuptials.
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. He is Sacramento's first African American mayor. Prior to entering politics, Johnson was a basketball player in the NBA, playing point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
and 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...
. As a basketball player, he was a three-time NBA All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection who holds many records 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...
franchise. At University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, Johnson had been a two-time All-Pac 10 Conference player who was also an honorable-mention All-American by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
sportswriters. Johnson was a 2000 graduate of the Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's mission is to train and educate its students either in the academic study of religion, or for the practice of a religious ministry or other public...
Summer Leadership Institute, a program that prepares students for work in faith-based urban economic revitalization. He also has a B.A. in Political Science from UC Berkeley that he completed after his initial retirement from the NBA.
Early life
Johnson, the son of Georgia West and Lawrence Johnson, was born March 4, 1966 in Sacramento. After Johnson's father drowned in an accident in the Sacramento RiverSacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
, he was raised by his grandparents, the Peat family. He attended Sacramento High School
Sacramento High School
Sacramento Charter High School is an independent public charter high school located in the Alhambra Triangle, adjacent to the Oak Park neighborhood in Sacramento, California. Its charter was approved by the Sacramento City Unified School District's Board of Trustees on July 21, 2003...
, where he starred in both baseball and basketball and led the state of California in scoring during his senior year. (32.5 ppg).
University of California
Despite excelling at two sports in high school, Johnson decided to play basketball exclusively at the collegiate level, and accepted a scholarship to play basketball for the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. Playing all four seasons, Johnson ended his college basketball career in 1987 as the school's all-time leader in assists, steals, and scoring (since eclipsed by Lamond Murray
Lamond Murray
Lamond Maurice Murray is an American professional basketball player who last played with the NBA's New Jersey Nets. In 2009, Lamond Murray joined the Bahrain Basketball Association in Bahrain...
and Jerome Randle
Jerome Randle
Jerome J. Randle is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Türk Telekom B.K. in the Turkish Basketball League.- College career :...
). He was also the first player in the Pac-10 Conference to post a "triple-double" in statistics, and he was named to the Pac-10's all-conference First Team in both his junior and senior seasons, averaging 17.2 points and 5.0 assists in his final basketball season. His number 11 is retired. Originally drafted in 1986 to play professional baseball with the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
as an infielder, Johnson spent his collegiate summers with the A's minor-league team in Modesto, California
Modesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
, but after being advised by a scout that his future was in basketball, Johnson never looked back to baseball, and he was the seventh selection overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
in the 1987 NBA Draft
1987 NBA Draft
The 1987 Draft of the National Basketball Association was held on June 22, 1987 in New York City, New York.This draft is notable for the selection of two future members of the NBA 50 Greatest Players list, David Robinson and Scottie Pippen. Other notable selections include Reggie Miller, Kevin...
.
Phoenix Suns
Originally drafted by the Cleveland CavaliersCleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
to challenge the incumbent point guard Mark Price
Mark Price
William Mark Price is a retired American basketball player who played for 12 seasons in the NBA, from 1986 to 1998...
of Georgia Tech for the starting spot, Johnson found himself on the bench as Price's backup during the 1987-88 NBA season
1987-88 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Mark Jackson, New York Knicks*Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls...
because Price significantly improved during training camp and convincingly won the starting job. On February 28, 1988, Johnson (along with his teammates Mark West and Tyrone Corbin
Tyrone Corbin
Tyrone Kennedy Corbin is the head coach of the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association. He was installed as head coach on February 10, 2011 following the resignation of longtime coach Jerry Sloan....
) was traded to 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...
in exchange for the forward Larry Nance, Mike Sanders, and a future draft pick. Phoenix also received a draft pick in the trade – one that was used the next season to select the Suns stalwart guard Dan Majerle
Dan Majerle
Daniel Lewis Majerle is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. Known by his fans as "Downtown Dan," "Thunder Dan," and "Dan the Man," he played 14 years in the NBA, primarily with the Phoenix Suns, also with the Miami...
. Adjusting rapidly to the change of scenery and much-increased playing time, Johnson excelled, and he was named the NBA Rookie of the Month in April 1988, averaging 15.1 points, 10.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and an .864 free throw percentage for the month.
That next year in his first full season with Phoenix, Johnson emerged, averaging 20.4 points and 12.2 assists to win the NBA's Most Improved Player Award
NBA Most Improved Player Award
The National Basketball Association's Most Improved Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1985–86 NBA season, to the most improved player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada,...
. It was also the first of three straight seasons in which he averaged at least 20.0 points and 10.0 assists, joining Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas as the only players in league history to accomplish that feat for three consecutive seasons. From 1989 to 1991 he was selected to the All-NBA Second Team, earning Third Team honors in 1992 and Second Team honors again in 1994. KJ also was selected to the NBA All-Star Team in 1990, 1991, and 1994 and made the playoffs every year of his career after his rookie season. In the 1991 NBA All-Star Game
1991 NBA All-Star Game
The 1991 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game between players selected from the National Basketball Association's Western Conference and the Eastern Conference that was played on February 10, 1991 at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States...
in Charlotte, KJ wore No. 41 instead of his familiar #7. NBC announcers Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
and Mike Fratello
Mike Fratello
Michael Robert "Mike" Fratello is an American color analyst and a professional basketball coach. He previously coached the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, and is currently the head coach of the Ukraine national basketball team.-Background:Fratello was born in...
speculated it was to honor teammate Mark West, who was not picked to participate in the 40th All-Star Game, despite his valuable contributions on the boards and in the trenches for the Suns on a nightly basis.
The 1992–93
1992-93 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Charles Barkley, Phoenix Suns*Rookie of the Year: Shaquille O'Neal, Orlando Magic*Defensive Player of the Year: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets...
Suns, led by Johnson (despite having missed 31 regular season games due to injury and rest and 2 after the NBA suspended him because of a brawl in a game vs. the New York Knicks) and Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
, posted an NBA-best 62–20 record. Narrowly escaping first round elimination versus the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, the Barkley-led Suns managed to make it to the NBA Finals
1993 NBA Finals
The 1993 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1992-93 NBA season, featuring the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, and the Phoenix Suns, winners of 62 games and led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley...
, where they fell to the Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
-led Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
in a four games to two game series. KJ averaged 17.8 points and 7.9 assists in the playoffs and established an NBA record for Finals minutes played by logging 62 minutes in Game 3 (a 129–121 triple OT victory) vs. the Bulls. In 1995, the injury-prone KJ was again slowed by injuries but returned to form for the post-season, averaging 24.8 points, 9.3 assists, a .573 field goal percentage, and a .500 three-point field goal percentage in 10 games, including a 46-point, 10-assist effort in a 115–114 Game 7 loss of the Western Conference Semifinals to the eventual champion 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...
. In Game 4 of the previous year's series with eventual champion Houston, in front of a capacity crowd in Phoenix, Johnson completed a remarkable dunk, driving from the baseline, over 7'0" Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played the center position in the National Basketball Association for the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. In 2008,...
. The shot became an oft-played highlight for the ages and was part of a second consecutive 38-point, 12-assist effort by the point guard.
International competition
In addition to his NBA efforts with the Suns, Johnson also lent his talents to the US national team in the 1994 FIBA World Championship1994 FIBA World Championship
The 1994 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Canada from August 4 to August 14, 1994. The tournament was held at SkyDome and Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto as well as at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton...
, reuniting with old teammate and rival Mark Price to win the gold medal. Johnson led Dream Team II in both total assists and assists average (3.9 per game) while shooting .471 (16–34) from the field.
Retirement and comeback
Johnson retired after the 1997–98 season1997-98 NBA season
The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their third straight championship and sixth in the last eight years, beating the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the 1998 NBA Finals...
, but returned briefly during the 1999–2000 campaign
1999-2000 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers*Co-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets*Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat...
to replace the injured Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
during the playoff run
2000 NBA Playoffs
The 2000 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1999–2000 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers win their first championship in twelve years by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers...
. Johnson helped the Suns win their first playoff series in five years. After Phoenix lost in the second round to the Los Angeles Lakers, he retired for the second and final time.
Accomplishments and legacy
- One of only three players in NBA history (Isiah ThomasIsiah ThomasIsiah Lord Thomas III , nicknamed "Zeke",is the men's basketball coach for the FIU Golden Panthers, and a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association from 1981 until 1994. He led the "Bad Boys" to the NBA...
and Magic JohnsonMagic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
) to have averaged at least 20 points and 12 assists in a season. - One of only three players in NBA history (Oscar RobertsonOscar RobertsonOscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks...
and Thomas) to have averaged at least 20 points and 10 assists in three consecutive seasons. - One of only four players in NBA history (Robertson, Thomas, and Magic Johnson) to have averaged at least 20 points and 10 assists per game in three different seasons.
- One of six players in NBA history (Magic Johnson, Stockton, Steve NashSteve NashStephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara...
, Deron WilliamsDeron WilliamsDeron Michael Williams , nicknamed D-Will, is an American basketball player currently with the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association . Williams has also played for the Utah Jazz of the NBA and Beşiktaş of the Turkish Basketball League...
, and Chris PaulChris PaulChristopher Emmanuel Paul is an American professional basketball point guard for the New Orleans Hornets.Paul was born and raised in North Carolina. Despite only playing two varsity basketball seasons in high school, he was a McDonald's All-American and accepted a scholarship with nearby Wake...
) to have averaged at least 15 points and 10 assists per game over the course of a season while shooting at least .500 from the field. - Along with Magic Johnson, is one of only two players in NBA history to have twice averaged at least 20 points and 10 assists per game over the course of a season while shooting at least .500 from the field. The only other player to produce 20/10/.500 over the course of a single season is Paul.
- Johnson was the first player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 10 assists, a .500 field goal percentage, and 2 steals in a season (in 1990–91); he has since been joined in that regard by Paul (in 2008–09).
- Johnson is one of only two players in NBA history (Magic Johnson is the other) to average at least 20 points and 12 assists in a season while shooting at least .500 from the field.
- The only team to defeat both Magic Johnson's Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and Stockton's Utah JazzUtah JazzThe Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the same postseason was Kevin Johnson's Phoenix Suns in 1990. - Johnson twice led the NBA in total playoff assists (1990 and 1993).
- On March 7, 2001, the Suns inducted Johnson into their Ring of Honor and retired his uniform No. 7 during halftime of a game Phoenix played against the Sacramento KingsSacramento KingsThe Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, Johnson's hometown team. - NBA record holder for minutes in a finals game, playing 62 minutes in 1993 vs. the Chicago BullsChicago BullsThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
. - Three time NBA All-Star.
- Phoenix SunsPhoenix SunsThe 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...
' all time leader in free throws made, free throws attempted, and assists.
The Kevin Johnson Corporation
As president and CEO of The Kevin Johnson Corporation, Johnson oversees the operations of several subsidiary organizations specializing in real estate development and management, sports management, and business acquisition. A key component of The Kevin Johnson Corporation includes appearances and public speaking engagements for corporations, academic institutions, and community organizations. Johnson founded the St. Hope Academy in 1989 and served as its CEO until January 2008. St. HOPE is a nonprofit community development corporation whose mission is to revitalize communities through public education, civic leadership, economic development and the arts.In 2003, St. HOPE formed St. HOPE Public Schools, a pre-K-12 independent charter school system that provides education to nearly 2,000 students in seven small schools.
Election for Mayor's Office of Sacramento
On March 5, 2008, Johnson announced he would run for mayor of Sacramento, his hometown, challenging incumbent Heather FargoHeather Fargo
Heather Fargo is a former Mayor and former City Council Member of Sacramento, California. She was sworn in as Mayor in November 2000, replacing Jimmie Yee, and served until December 2008, when she was replaced by Kevin Johnson.-Early life and education:Heather Fargo grew up in Davis, Santa Maria,...
. Election day was June 3, 2008. Since no candidate received a majority of the vote in the nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
election, there was a runoff
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
.
Johnson garnered the endorsement of the Sacramento Police Officers Association (SPOA), the Sacramento Regional Builders Exchange
Sacramento Regional Builders Exchange
Founded in 1901 and serving over 3,010 member companies, the Sacramento Regional Builders Exchange is the development industry’s oldest and largest association in the region. The Exchange’s members include area contractors and subcontractors, suppliers and industry support organizations...
, the Chamber of Commerce, Realtors' Association and Labor Council, among others. Johnson was also endorsed by Sacramento City Council
Sacramento City Council
The Sacramento City Council is the governing body of the city of Sacramento, California. The council holds regular meetings at Sacramento City Hall on Tuesdays at 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm, with exceptions for holidays and other special cases....
members Steve Cohn (Vice Mayor) and Sandy Sheedy, and by former Sacramento Mayor Jimmie Yee.
On June 4, 2008, Kevin Johnson, who led by 8 percentage points, forced a runoff election for mayor versus the 2-term incumbent. 374 of 378 precincts were reported, and Johnson was ahead of Mayor Heather Fargo 47% to 40%. Five other candidates split the rest of the vote. The candidates needed more than 50% to win the election. Third place finisher Leonard Padilla endorsed Mayor Fargo on June 4, 2008. Johnson, by late May, loaned his campaign $500,000 and raised $490,000, while Fargo raised $340,000 despite having started fundraising in 2005.
2008 primary election for mayor of Sacramento
| Candidate | Votes | Outcome |
| Kevin Johnson | 32,160 (46.58%) | Runoff |
| Heather Fargo | 27,472 (39.36%) | Runoff |
| Leonard Padilla | 4,231 (6.06%) | Defeated |
| Shawn D. Eldredge | 2,462 (3.53%) | Defeated |
| Muriel Strand | 2,104 (3.01%) | Defeated |
| Richard Jones | 679 (0.97%) | Defeated |
| Adam Daniel | 407 (0.58%) | Defeated |
| Write-in | 280 (0.40%) | Defeated |
Johnson and Fargo had a runoff election in November, won by Johnson.
2008 runoff election for mayor of Sacramento
| Candidate | Votes | Outcome |
| Kevin Johnson | 92,288 (57.4%) | Winner |
| Heather Fargo | 67,348 (41.9%) | Defeated |
Sexual assault and harassment allegations
During the summer of 1995, a 16-year-old girl alleged that Johnson had fondled her. Johnson apologized to the girl when he was confronted by her with the accusation during a phone conversation recorded by Phoenix police. However he also stated that "what you're saying happened, I'm not entirely agreeing happened." The Sacramento Bee stated that they had received a copy of a proposed settlement agreement, under which Johnson would have paid the girl's family $230,000. After conducting an investigation, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office declined to prosecute, on the grounds that there was not a reasonable likelihood of conviction.High School investigation
On April 16, 2008, rival mayoral candidate Leonard Padilla distributed a 2007 report of similar allegations made against Johnson at St. HOPE Sacramento High SchoolSacramento High School
Sacramento Charter High School is an independent public charter high school located in the Alhambra Triangle, adjacent to the Oak Park neighborhood in Sacramento, California. Its charter was approved by the Sacramento City Unified School District's Board of Trustees on July 21, 2003...
. The allegations were investigated by local police, but no charges were filed, and the alleged victim recanted her story. On April 29, 2008, a group of female civic leaders including former Sacramento Mayor Ann Rudin, Sacramento Municipal Utility District board member Genevieve Shiroma, and former State Senator Deborah Ortiz demanded the release of the police report on the matter. The teacher to whom the student initially brought the complaint subsequently resigned over the incident, claiming, "St. HOPE sought to intimidate the student through an illegal interrogation and even had the audacity to ask me to change my story." Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel responded, saying, "I think the allegations at the school were handled in the way that you would want them handled. Immediately they followed all the normal protocols that they were supposed to follow. I think it was pretty clear there was nothing there... We did ask the young lady whether anyone had influenced her – her answer was no." The Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness said on May 30, 2008, that Johnson’s actions, though ill-advised, were not illegal.
St. HOPE Academy's alleged misuse of AmeriCorps funds
On April 9, 2009, Acting U.S. AttorneyUnited States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
Lawrence G. Brown
United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California is composed of six divisions.The Bakersfield division has jurisdiction over certain cases in Inyo and Kern counties and on federal lands and National Parks...
announced that St. HOPE Academy had agreed to pay $423,836.50 over ten years in settlement of allegations that it did not appropriately spend AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is a U.S. federal government program that was created under President Bill Clinton by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 and later expanded by 50 percent under President George W. Bush...
grants and education awards and did not adequately document spending of grants. The settlement amount represented one-half of the $847,673 in AmeriCorps funds received by St. HOPE Academy over three years from 2004 to 2007. Johnson, St. HOPE Academy’s founder and former CEO, agreed to pay $72,836.50 of St. HOPE Academy’s $73,836.50 initial payment. In settlement, St. HOPE Academy acknowledged not adequately documenting a portion of its AmeriCorps grant expenditures, and the Corporation for National and Community Service
Corporation For National and Community Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America, and other national service initiatives...
terminated its September 24, 2008 suspension of St. HOPE Academy and Johnson from receiving federal funds, ending questions about Sacramento’s eligibility to receive federal stimulus
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
funds.
Personal life
Johnson married Michelle RheeMichelle Rhee
Michelle A. Rhee is a public figure involved in the American education system. She was chancellor of the Washington, D.C. public schools from 2007 to 2010...
, the former Chancellor of the District of Columbia School System, on September 3, 2011, in front of 40 people at a Tennessee mountain resort. They had originally planned to get married the year before, but decided to postpone it in the wake of a large amount of media attention to their nuptials.
See also
- List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game
- List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game
External links
- Sacramento Mayor's Office
- Official Kevin Johnson for Mayor Website
- Interview with Kevin Johnson on PMAKid.com