Edward Lee Johnson Jr. (February 24, 1955 – October 26, 2020) was an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player. He played 10 seasons in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

(NBA) – mainly as a member of the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

– from 1977 to 1987. Johnson was a two-time NBA-All-Star with the Hawks in

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – In ...

and

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

, and earned two nominations to the

NBA All-Defensive Second Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...

in 1979 and 1980. He was nicknamed "Fast Eddie" for his speed and quickness on the court. Johnson's notorious off-court behaviour due to drug abuse harmed his reputation as a player. He was traded by the Hawks to the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central ...

for the end of the 1985–86 season. He played for the

Tampa Bay Thrillers The Tampa Bay Thrillers were a franchise in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1984–1987. They won back-to-back championships in 1984–85 and 1985–86. At the end of the 1986–87 CBA regular season the team relocated to Rapi ...

in the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball mi ...

(CBA) during the 1986–87 season in an attempt to return to the NBA and received a mid-season call-up to play for the

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...

in what would be his final professional stint. Johnson's playing career ended when he received a suspension by the NBA due to a

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...

addiction in 1987. His life after basketball delved further into criminal activities and culminated in Johnson being sentenced to life in prison for sex crimes on a minor in 2008. He died of an undisclosed illness while serving his sentence.

Early life and college career

Johnson was born in

Ocala, Florida Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida. Home to ...

, and raised in

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 In the United States, a metropolitan statist ...

, as the oldest of five children. His father worked as a laborer. Johnson played basketball with a homemade goal outside his family's house. He was one of the first black students to attend a previously all-white grade school in Weirsdale. He attended

Lake Weir High School Lake Weir High School (LWHS) is a public high school located in unincorporated area, unincorporated southeastern Marion County, Florida, Marion County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Marion County School District (Florida), Marion Count ...

and started all four years he played. Johnson graduated from Lake Weir as one of the top students in his class. Johnson played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

Auburn Tigers The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associ ...

from 1973 to 1977. He led the

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities o ...

(SEC) in scoring as a freshman with 21.8 points per game. Johnson led the Tigers in scoring and assists for his first three seasons, and was nominated to the All-SEC Coaches' first-team from 1974 to 1976. He allegedly had conflicts with Tigers coach Bob Davis who accused Johnson of having "a bad attitude". Johnson's scoring average dipped each season with the Tigers and caused worry amongst professional scouts as to if he was a problematic player.

Professional career

Johnson was selected by the

as the 49th overall pick of the

1977 NBA draft The 1977 NBA draft was the 31st annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 10, 1977, before the 1977–78 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball player ...

. Averaging 10.5 points, the rookie helped the Hawks return to the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...

after a four-year absence, a feat repeated in six of Johnson's eight full years with the club. Johnson became a starter in 1978–79. During that season, Johnson advanced as far as he ever would in pursuit of an

NBA championship The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is a ...

, losing in the conference semifinals to the

Washington Bullets The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

. He was a starter four consecutive seasons, averaging at least 16 points each season. Fans voted Johnson into a starting spot in the

1980 NBA All-Star Game The 1980 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game which was played at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, on February 3, 1980. MVP: George Gervin Coaches: East: Billy Cunningham, West: Lenny Wilkens. Television: CBS Announc ...

, where he scored 22 points on 11-of-16 shooting. He returned as a starter in the

1981 NBA All-Star Game The 1981 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game which was played February 1, 1981, at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio. This was the 31st edition of the National Basketball Association All-Star Game and was played during t ...

, where he scored 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Johnson was traded to the

for Johnny Davis during the

1985–86 NBA season The 1985–86 NBA season was the 40th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their third championship of the decade, beating the Houston Rockets 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Notable occur ...

. He considered his year with the Cavaliers to be "a waste." Johnson played in the

for the

during the 1986–87 season as he needed visibility to work his way back into the NBA. He averaged 22 points, 2.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 26 games played with the Thrillers. Johnson was named the CBA Newcomer of the Year and nominated to the All-CBA First Team. Johnson signed a contract with the

as they needed an experienced guard for the end of the

1986–87 NBA season The 1986–87 NBA season was the 41st season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning their fourth championship of the decade, beating the Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Notabl ...

. SuperSonics coach Bernie Bickerstaff had a closed-door meeting with his players before Johnson was signed while the team assigned someone to monitor Johnson's activities due to their wariness of his volatility. Johnson was considered a desirable person during the NBA season who went out of control during offseasons. Pat Williams, who was then general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, stated: "Eddie became a

time bomb A time bomb (or a timebomb, time-bomb) is a bomb whose detonation is triggered by a timer. The use (or attempted use) of time bombs has been for various purposes including insurance fraud, terrorism, assassination, sabotage and warfare. They are ...

every summer." Johnson battled a

addiction throughout his career. After several suspensions, he finally checked himself into rehab in 1986. After he failed to follow through on mandatory counseling, the NBA suspended him in 1987. Johnson averaged 15.1 points per game in 675 games played during his 10-year NBA career.

Personal life

Johnson's younger brother,

Frank Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curr ...

, is a former player and coach in the NBA. He was a distant cousin of fellow basketball player Tree Rollins, who was his teammate on the Hawks. Johnson had three children.

Off-court issues and imprisonment

Johnson first began using

as a college student. He passed out during a celebratory function at Auburn in 1979 in what was the first public indication of his drug habits. Johnson denied that his drug habits led to his personal issues and stated: "The whole idea of me abusing drugs is outlandish." During the 1980 NBA off-season, Johnson escaped unharmed after he jumped off a second-story apartment balcony and fled across a parking lot while two men fired gunshots at him in what police believed was part of a drug dispute. Three weeks later, he was arrested for possession of cocaine while driving a rental car in Atlanta but the charges were dropped because the police's search of the car was deemed illegal. Johnson was taken to a private psychiatric facility in

Cobb County, Georgia Cobb County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia, located in the Atlanta metropolitan area in the north central portion of the state. As of 2020 Census, the population was 766,149. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta. Along with ...

, and underwent therapy for almost a week. The day after Johnson checked himself out of the facility, he was arrested for stealing a car from a car dealer but the charges were again dropped. Johnson was diagnosed with

manic depression Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

by psychiatrists in the Cobb County facility; he doubted the accuracy of the diagnosis. He was prescribed with lithium tablets that he stopped taking during the

1980–81 NBA season The 1980–81 NBA season was the 35th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Houston Rockets 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. As of 2022, this was the last t ...

without the knowledge of the Hawks team. Johnson believed that he no longer needed the medication and that it contributed to his tiredness during games. The Hawks became aware of the resumption of Johnson's erratic behavior in July 1981 and persuaded him to submit to a local hospital. Johnson showed up at the Hawks' training camp in October directly from the hospital and became increasingly disruptive as he rebuked teammates, left the floor to play with a child in the stands, and jumped rope on the sidelines while oblivious to his surroundings during practice sessions. After being so alarmed by his actions, Atlanta Hawks President Michael Gearon and General Manager Stan Kasten contacted Johnson's psychiatrist, who signed a commitment order to have Johnson placed in

Grady Memorial Hospital Grady Memorial Hospital, frequently referred to as Grady Hospital or simply Grady, is the public hospital for the city of Atlanta. It is the tenth-largest public hospital in the United States, and one of the busiest Level I trauma centers in th ...

. Johnson was picked up by police before a planned practice session and taken to Grady. Johnson was taken off the Hawks' suspended list on November 21, 1981. Johnson's life continued to spiral out of control following his banishment from the NBA. He was arrested and convicted for a litany of crimes over the years, including burglary, robbery, assault on a police officer, and shoplifting. He admitted that he had frequent drug problems which had initially cost him his career. Johnson's rap sheet numbered about 100 arrests and five stints in and out of the Florida prison system when in 2006, he was arrested for burglary and sexual battery and molestation of an 8-year-old girl, while awaiting trial on charges of raping another woman. The arrest created additional controversy when multiple publications used the picture of another NBA player named Eddie Johnson, who believed his reputation had been damaged due to the incident. On October 30, 2008, Johnson was convicted of sexual battery of a minor, lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor, and trespassing for the sexual assault of an 8-year-old girl in her home at Parkside Garden Apartments in

. Johnson denied doing anything inappropriate. The sex crimes carried a mandatory

life sentence without parole Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes fo ...

. Johnson was incarcerated at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution.

Death

Johnson died on October 26, 2020, of an undisclosed illness in Milton, Florida. His death was confirmed on November 3, 2020.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

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, 78 , , – , , 30.9 , , .510 , , – , , .832 , , 2.2 , , 4.6 , , 1.6 , , .1 , , 16.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 79 , , – , , 33.2 , , .487 , , .385 , , .828 , , 2.5 , , 4.7 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , 18.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 75 , , – , , 35.9 , , .504 , , .300 , , .784 , , 2.4 , , 5.4 , , 1.7 , , .1 , , 19.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 68 , , 57 , , 34.0 , , .450 , , .233 , , .764 , , 2.8 , , 5.3 , , 1.5 , , .2 , , 17.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 61 , , 57 , , 29.7 , , .453 , , .341 , , .785 , , 2.0 , , 5.2 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 16.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 67 , , 43 , , 28.3 , , .442 , , .372 , , .770 , , 2.2 , , 5.6 , , .9 , , .1 , , 13.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , 66 , , 32.4 , , .479 , , .306 , , .798 , , 2.6 , , 7.8 , , .6 , , .1 , , 16.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 39 , , 5 , , 22.1 , , .473 , , .250 , , .718 , , 1.9 , , 5.6 , , .3 , , .0 , , 10.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, 32 , , 4 , , 19.2 , , .440 , , .369 , , .733 , , 1.4 , , 3.6 , , .3 , , .0 , , 9.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, 24 , , 0 , , 21.2 , , .457 , , .333 , , .764 , , 1.9 , , 4.8 , , .5 , , .0 , , 9.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 675 , , 232 , , 29.6 , , .476 , , .326 , , .791 , , 2.3 , , 5.1 , , 1.1 , , .1 , , 15.1

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1978 , style="text-align:left;",

, 2 , , – , , 32.0 , , .632 , , – , , .875 , , 3.0 , , 3.0 , , 4.0 , , .5 , , 15.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...

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, 9 , , – , , 29.1 , , .508 , , – , , .720 , , 2.6 , , 5.0 , , .4 , , .2 , , 16.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1980 , style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , – , , 37.6 , , .514 , , .000 , , .750 , , 3.6 , , 4.2 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , 19.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1982 , style="text-align:left;",

, 2 , , – , , 33.5 , , .346 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 3.0 , , 4.5 , , .0 , , .5 , , 11.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , – , , 24.6 , , .352 , , .167 , , .682 , , 1.8 , , 4.8 , , 1.2 , , .0 , , 10.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 14 , , 0 , , 12.9 , , .534 , , .400 , , .867 , , 1.0 , , 3.2 , , .4 , , .0 , , 6.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 37 , , 0 , , 23.9 , , .485 , , .273 , , .778 , , 2.1 , , 4.1 , , .8 , , .2 , , 11.9

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Eddie 1955 births 2020 deaths 21st-century American criminals African-American basketball players American male criminals American men's basketball players American sportspeople convicted of crimes American people convicted of child sexual abuse American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment American people who died in prison custody Atlanta Hawks draft picks Atlanta Hawks players Auburn Tigers men's basketball players Basketball players from Florida Cleveland Cavaliers players National Basketball Association All-Stars Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Florida Prisoners who died in Florida detention Rapid City Thrillers players Seattle SuperSonics players Shooting guards Sportspeople from Ocala, Florida Tampa Bay Thrillers players 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople