Kevin Johnson - Phoenix Suns' Point Guard, and Explosive, Injury Prone Talent
Kevin Johnson may have been the most explosive and physically gifted of any Phoenix Suns point guard in team history.
Who can ever forget Kevin Johnson’s slam dunk over Houston center Hakeem Olajuwon in the 1994 Western Conference Semi-final game?
Or how about K.J.’s performance with teammate Charles Barkley in the 1993 NBA Finals? Including a forgettable first two games of that series (Phoenix lost both at home), Johnson still Averaged more than 17 points per game on a team loaded with offensive options, and 6.5 assists.
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He also established an NBA record for Finals total minutes played by logging 62 minutes in Game 3 (a 129–121 triple-OT victory) vs. the Bulls.
When the Suns won game five forcing the series to return to Phoenix, teammate Charles Barkley said they won to save the city of Chicago from destruction (or riots), cracking up the media. But it was K.J. who rightfully attributed the comment to coach Paul Westphal, who actually made the tongue in cheek comment before the game.
The Suns lost that series in game six at home, and everyone remembers the Bulls John Paxson being left unaccountably alone (Danny Ainge dropped off Paxson to cover Horace Grant) for a wide open three pointer with 3.9 seconds left, giving the Bulls a 99–98 lead.
But few remember KJ working himself open for a clean short jumper in the lane that would have won the game as time expired. It was only an outstanding defensive block by Horace Grant which sealed the win.
Kevin Johnson Comes to the Suns
Kevin Maurice Johnson (born March 4, 1966) was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1987 draft, the seventh overall pick that year. But in his first season, K.J. saw little playing time behind starting point guard Mark Price.
Then, in what may have been one of the best trades ever for Phoenix, the Suns acquired Johnson on February 28, along with Mark West, Tyrone Corbin, and a future draft pick (Which turned out to be Dan Majerle) in exchange for forward Larry Nance, Mike Sanders, and a future draft pick.
Johnson’s skill set was now fully on display, and he was named NBA Rookie of the Month in April for averaging 15.1 points, an 86.4% free throw percentage, 10.6 assists, and even 5.6 rebounds per game.
With backcourt mate Jeff Hornacek already on the team, the drafting of Majerle, and the signing of free agent Tom Chambers, the Suns began one of their most successful playoff runs (without a finals appearance until Barkley joined the team in 1992).
The 6 foot 1 inch, 180 pound Johnson was not a physically imposing player at first glance. But he would often display his remarkably quick first step, and jumping ability.
He played in three NBA All-Star games, in 1990, 1991 and 1994. In the 1991 All Star Game, K.J. started in the backcourt with Magic Johnson for the Western Conference. The Sporting News wondered whether K.J. may have been the better of the two.
And commentator/analyst Bill Walton (Often known for his outrageous comments) said K.J “really came to the top of this league in the 1990 playoffs when he waxed Magic Johnson’s performance during the 1990 playoffs.”
It was remarkable to watch the Suns beat Magic and the Lakers in 1990, four games to one, before falling to the Portland Trailblazers that year in the Conference Finals.
Johnson’s playoff numbers were amazing that year. He averaged 21.3 points and 10.6 assists in 23 games played, with a high scoring game of 37 points in the game five clincher against Los Angeles, a playoffs high 17 assists in game 3 against Portland.
During the Suns first pre-season camp with Charles Barkley on board in 1992, forward Cedric Ceballos took a particular nasty hit from Barkley, sending him flying off the court.
Immediately, K.J. jumped into Barkley’s face, calling it a bogus move. Barkley just smiled, later telling a reporter he just wanted to see how tough K.J. really was. He wasn’t disappointed.
Later, Barkley would often say to anyone who would listen how tough Kevin Johnson was with his seemingly reckless drives into the lane, and how he would jump into much bigger opponents. At no time was that on display more than K.J’s famous slam dunk over Olajuwon in 1994, mentioned earlier.
Injury Prone Point Guard
But Kevin Johnson’s time in Phoenix was limited by his inability to stay healthy. Even before he played a single regular season game with Charles Barkley, he suffered a hernia when he tried to lift rookie teammate Oliver Miller (known for being overweight) off the ground before a preseason game.
The hernia went undiagnosed, and plagued Johnson most of that year. He would go on to suffer a variety of hamstring, quad and groin injuries, and missed more than a hundred regular season games during a four year stretch from 1992 through 1996.
Suns’ physicians finally diagnosed a second hernia during surgery in 1996, and discovered the first hidden hernia that handicapped Johnson for the previous four years.
Despite the pain, Johnson only ever missed one playoff game, and dominated his position. In 1994, he averaged 26.6 points and 9.6 assists in the postseason. He scored 38 points in 3 different playoff games that year.
Johnson retired from basketball after the 1997-1998 season, but returned during the 1999-2000 year after Jason Kidd was injured to help the Suns during their playoff run. He retired for good after the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated Phoenix in the second round of the playoffs that year.
Kevin Johnson After Basketball
In college, K.J. played for four years at U.C. Berkeley, earning a degree in Political Science, so it should come as no surprise that he ran for office after his final retirement.
May 3, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; Sacramento mayor and former NBA player Kevin Johnson arrives before the 2014 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
In 2008, K.J announced he would run for mayor in his hometown of Sacramento, California. And he won his first term defeating incumbent Heather Fargo in a runoff. But his NBA roots ran deep, as he spearheaded the effort to keep the Kings in Sacramento.
Johnson has been awarded several times for his dedication and contributions to the Sacramento community. 1991, Former President George H. W. Bush honored Johnson with as the 411th Point of Light recipient. And he was named one of the “15 Greatest Men on Earth” by McCall’s.
K.J.’s Off-Court Controversies
But his off-court time has also been marred by controversy. In 1995, Johnson was accused of molestation by a 16-year-old girl who was living in his home. In a conversation recorded by Phoenix Police, Johnson apologized to the girl, but also stated that he did not agree with her description of what happened. The Sacramento Bee stated that they had received a copy of the proposed settlement agreement in the case, showing Johnson agreed to pay the family $230,000.
Then in 1997 the Phoenix New Times reported: “Phoenix Suns fans who were puzzled by the inconsistent play of Kevin Johnson during the playoff series against Seattle should consider this: Days before the series began, an attorney for a 17-year-old Phoenix girl delivered a letter to Johnson. It demanded $750,000 before 5 p.m. on April 28. If Johnson failed to cut a check, the attorney warned, a lawsuit would be filed promptly.”
However, none of the allegations against Johnson were ever proven in court, and he was never even charged.
And despite being re-elected to a second term as Sacramento’s Mayor, Johnson’s term has not been without controversy. He just recently took a pie in the face from a man who alleged Johnson was a crooked politician. Johnson has said he won’t run for a third term.
Despite the political and alleged off-court issues, K.J. will remain one of the most popular Suns player of all time. How a team that featured Johnson, Charles Barkley, Cedric Ceballos and Dan Majerle never won an NBA Championship we will never now.
With K.J.’s injury history, maybe it was just bad luck. But a close examination of his career, especially his playoff numbers, one would be hard-pressed to ever call Johnson a choker.
Share Your Memories of K.J.
Share your comments about K.J. below. Through it all, he remains one of the best basketball players to ever wear a Suns uniform. And may be the best, or second best (Behind Steve Nash?) to ever play point guard in Phoenix.
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