Edward Lee Johnson Jr. (February 24, 1955 – October 26, 2020) was an American professional
basketball player. He played 10 seasons in the
National Basketball Association (NBA) – mainly as a member of the
Atlanta Hawks – 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 – ...
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 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 (NBA), Ea ...
for the end of the
1985–86 season. He played for the
Tampa Bay Thrillers 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 m ...
(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 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 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, Marion County, Florida, United States. It is located near the intersection of State Road 25 (Florida), State Road 25 and State Road 42 (Florida), State Road 42. The community is part of the Ocala, Flor ...
, 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 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 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 Associa ...
from 1973 to 1977. He led the
Southeastern Conference (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
Atlanta Hawks 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 players ...
. Averaging 10.5 points, the rookie helped the Hawks return to the
playoffs 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, losing in the conference semifinals to the
Washington Bullets. 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 th ...
,
where he scored 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting.
Johnson was traded 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 (NBA), Ea ...
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
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 m ...
for the
Tampa Bay Thrillers 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
Seattle SuperSonics 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
Bernard Tyrone Bickerstaff (born February 11, 1944) is an American basketball coach and front office executive, currently serving as the Senior Basketball Advisor for the Cleveland Cavaliers. As a coach, he previously worked as the head coach for ...
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
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
, 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 ar ...
every summer."
Johnson battled a
cocaine 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, is a former player and coach in the NBA. He was a distant cousin of fellow basketball player
Tree Rollins
Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins (born June 16, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, ...
, who was his teammate on the Hawks.
Johnson had three children.
Off-court issues and imprisonment
Johnson first began using
cocaine 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, 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 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
Stan Kasten (born February 1, 1952) is the former president of the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals, and the current president and part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Long involved in Atlanta professional sports, he also served as ge ...
contacted Johnson's psychiatrist, who signed a commitment order to have Johnson placed in
Grady Memorial Hospital. 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
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 ...
. 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
Santa Rosa Correctional Institution is a state prison for men located in Milton, Santa Rosa County, Florida
Santa Rosa County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2020, the population is 188,000. ...
.
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
, 79 , , – , , 23.7 , , .484 , , – , , .816 , , 1.9 , , 3.0 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 10.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta
, 78 , , – , , 30.9 , , .510 , , – , , .832 , , 2.2 , , 4.6 , , 1.6 , , .1 , , 16.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta
, 79 , , – , , 33.2 , , .487 , , .385 , , .828 , , 2.5 , , 4.7 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , 18.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta
, 75 , , – , , 35.9 , , .504 , , .300 , , .784 , , 2.4 , , 5.4 , , 1.7 , , .1 , , 19.1
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta
, 68 , , 57 , , 34.0 , , .450 , , .233 , , .764 , , 2.8 , , 5.3 , , 1.5 , , .2 , , 17.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta
, 61 , , 57 , , 29.7 , , .453 , , .341 , , .785 , , 2.0 , , 5.2 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 16.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta
, 67 , , 43 , , 28.3 , , .442 , , .372 , , .770 , , 2.2 , , 5.6 , , .9 , , .1 , , 13.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta
, 73 , , 66 , , 32.4 , , .479 , , .306 , , .798 , , 2.6 , , 7.8 , , .6 , , .1 , , 16.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta
, 39 , , 5 , , 22.1 , , .473 , , .250 , , .718 , , 1.9 , , 5.6 , , .3 , , .0 , , 10.1
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland
, 32 , , 4 , , 19.2 , , .440 , , .369 , , .733 , , 1.4 , , 3.6 , , .3 , , .0 , , 9.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
, 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
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta
, 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 song ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta
, 9 , , – , , 29.1 , , .508 , , – , , .720 , , 2.6 , , 5.0 , , .4 , , .2 , , 16.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
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 – ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta
, 5 , , – , , 37.6 , , .514 , , .000 , , .750 , , 3.6 , , 4.2 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , 19.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1982
Events January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta
, 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 Southeast A ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Atlanta
, 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, k ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
, 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