James Patrick Johnson (born February 20, 1987) is 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 for the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball 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 in the United S ...

(NBA). He was the starting

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers. When on Of ...

for the

Wake Forest Demon Deacons The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Wake Forest University, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a mem ...

from 2007 to 2009. He was drafted 16th overall in the

2009 NBA draft The 2009 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2009, at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, the National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eli ...

by the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...

High school career

Johnson attended

Cheyenne East High School Cheyenne East High School is a public high school (grades 9-12) located in Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States, It serves Laramie County School District #1. The school enrolls students who attended Carey JHS, Alta Vista ES, Anderson ES, Baggs ES, Buf ...

Cheyenne, Wyoming Cheyenne ( or ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming, as well as the county seat of Laramie County, with 65,132 residents, per the 2020 US Census. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne metropolitan statistical ...

. During his senior year, he averaged 28 points and nine rebounds per game. Considered a four-star recruit by

Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...

, Johnson was listed as the No. 16 small forward and the No. 62 player in the nation in 2007.

College career

As a freshman at Wake Forest in 2007–08, Johnson had an instant impact, garnering third-team All-ACC honors as a freshman and finishing second in the 2008 ACC Rookie of the Year balloting, as he led the Demon Deacons in scoring and rebounding. As a sophomore, Johnson again led the team in rebounding, leading the team to a 24–5 record and a #1 ranking during the 2008–09 season. He was again named third team All-ACC. Following the season, Johnson declared his eligibility for the 2009 NBA draft.

Professional career

Chicago Bulls (2009–2011)

Johnson was drafted 16th overall by the

in the

. On July 8, 2009, he signed his first professional contract with the Bulls. On January 27, 2011, Johnson was assigned to the

Iowa Energy Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

of the

NBA D-League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA Dev ...

. On February 14, 2011, he was recalled by the Bulls.

Toronto Raptors (2011–2012)

On February 22, 2011, Johnson was traded to the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

in exchange for the

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

first round pick that they had acquired from the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...

Sacramento Kings (2012–2013)

On July 16, 2012, Johnson was traded to the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

in exchange for a

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

second-round draft pick. On December 28, 2012, Johnson hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer which gave the Kings a 106–105 victory over the New York Knicks.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2013)

On September 30, 2013, Johnson signed with 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 (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...

. He was waived on October 21. In November 2013, Johnson was acquired by the

Rio Grande Valley Vipers The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Edinburg, Texas, and are affiliated with the Houston Rockets. The Vipers play their home games at the Bert Ogden Arena. The Vipers have won f ...

. In 10 games with the Vipers, he averaged 18.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.9 steals and 3.4 blocks per game.

Memphis Grizzlies (2013–2014)

On December 16, 2013, Johnson signed with the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

Return to Toronto (2014–2016)

On July 17, 2014, Johnson signed with the

, returning for a second stint. On December 19, 2014, in Detroit, after Johnson's dunk on

Andre Drummond Andre Jamal Drummond (born August 10, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft with the ...

made it 95–75 midway through the fourth, on Toronto's next possession, Drummond smashed into Johnson with a forearm and hip smash. This set off a melee that saw Drummond get a flagrant foul and four technicals called. Following the game, Johnson said "That was nasty, but that's basketball. I don't expect anything less from anybody that's trying to win. Frustration sets in when you want to win – no hard feelings." When asked to comment on the dunk itself, Johnson remarked, "That was nasty, right? I cocked that joint back and banged on him!" Johnson's quote, combined with the dunk, garnered social media buzz by Raptor fans, gaining popularity as a

catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...

associated with him to the point that it once spawned online T-shirt sales featuring his quote printed on T-shirts by an entrepreneur for a charitable campaign. On February 21, 2015, Johnson scored a career-high 27 points in a 76–98 loss to the Houston Rockets.

Miami Heat (2016–2020)

On July 10, 2016, Johnson signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the

. He made his debut for the Heat in their season opener on October 26, 2016, recording 11 points and six assists off the bench in a 108–96 win over

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...

. On February 10, 2017, he scored a season-high 26 points in a 108–99 win over the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...

, helping the Heat record their 13th straight win. On April 5, 2017, he went 6 of 7 from three-point range and had 26 points in a 112–99 win over the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

. On July 7, 2017, Johnson re-signed with the Heat on a 4-year, $60 million contract. On January 10, 2018, he was suspended for one game without pay for an altercation with

Serge Ibaka Serge Jonás Ibaka Ngobila (; born 18 September 1989) is a Congolese-Spanish professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ibaka was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 24th overa ...

during a game against the

a day earlier. On March 19, 2018, he scored a career-high 31 points in a 149–141 double-overtime win over the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

. Johnson missed the first month of the 2018–19 season following off-season

sports hernia Athletic pubalgia, also called sports hernia, core injury, hockey hernia, hockey groin, Gilmore's groin, or groin disruption is a medical condition of the pubic joint affecting athletes. It is a syndrome characterized by chronic groin pain in a ...

surgery.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2020)

On February 6, 2020, Johnson was traded to the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

in a 3-team trade.

Dallas Mavericks (2020–2021)

On November 20, 2020, Johnson was traded, alongside the draft rights to

Aleksej Pokuševski Aleksej Pokuševski ( sr-cyr, Алексеј Покушевски; born 26 December 2001) is a Serbian professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing at and weighing , he plays ...

and Minnesota's 2024 second-round pick, to the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

in exchange for Ricky Rubio and the draft rights to

Jaden McDaniels Jaden McDaniels (born September 29, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Washington Huskies. He attended Federal Way ...

and

Immanuel Quickley Immanuel Jaylen Quickley (born June 17, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. High school career While a ...

. On November 27, Johnson was traded to the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...

in a three-team trade involving the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...

New Orleans Pelicans (2021)

On March 26, 2021, Johnson was traded, alongside Wes Iwundu and a second-round draft-pick, to the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...

in exchange for

JJ Redick Jonathan Clay "JJ" Redick (born June 24, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player who is a podcaster and sports analyst for ESPN. He was selected 11th overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2006 NBA draft. He played college baske ...

and

Nicolò Melli Nicolò Melli (born 26 January 1991) is an Italian-American professional basketball player and the team captain for Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. He also represents the senior Italian national team. ...

Brooklyn Nets (2021–2022)

On August 6, 2021, Johnson signed a one-year contract with the

. On March 1, 2022, he logged a season-high 19 points, alongside three assists, in a 108–109 loss to the

. On April 7, Johnson was waived by the Nets.

Indiana Pacers (2022–present)

On September 16, 2022, Johnson signed with the

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, 65 , , 11 , , 11.6 , , .452 , , .326 , , .729 , , 2.0 , , .7 , , .3 , , .7 , , 3.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, 13 , , 0 , , 9.5 , , .415 , , .222 , , .462 , , 1.8 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , .7 , , 3.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, 25 , , 25 , , 28.0 , , .464 , , .240 , , .707 , , 4.7 , , 3.0 , , 1.0 , , 1.1 , , 9.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 62 , , 40 , , 25.2 , , .450 , , .317 , , .704 , , 4.7 , , 2.0 , , 1.1 , , 1.4 , , 9.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 54 , , 11 , , 16.3 , , .413 , , .095 , , .597 , , 2.7 , , 1.1 , , .8 , , .9 , , 5.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, 52 , , 4 , , 18.4 , , .464 , , .253 , , .844 , , 3.2 , , 2.1 , , .8 , , 1.1 , , 7.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 70 , , 17 , , 19.6 , , .589 , , .216 , , .657 , , 3.7 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , 1.0 , , 7.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 57 , , 32 , , 16.2 , , .475 , , .303 , , .574 , , 2.2 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , .6 , , 5.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, 76 , , 5 , , 27.4 , , .479 , , .341 , , .707 , , 4.9 , , 3.6 , , 1.0 , , 1.1 , , 12.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , 41 , , 26.6 , , .503 , , .308 , , .698 , , 4.9 , , 3.8 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , 10.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 55 , , 33 , , 21.2 , , .433 , , .336 , , .714 , , 3.2 , , 2.5 , , .6 , , .5 , , 7.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 18 , , 0 , , 15.6 , , .448 , , .356 , , .571 , , 2.9 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , .7 , , 5.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, 14 , , 1 , , 24.1 , , .500 , , .370 , , .676 , , 4.7 , , 3.8 , , 1.4 , , 1.4 , , 12.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, 29 , , 1 , , 17.4 , , .462 , , .250 , , .586 , , 3.0 , , 1.7 , , .8 , , .8 , , 5.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, 22 , , 11 , , 24.5 , , .434 , , .267 , , .596 , , 4.1 , , 2.2 , , .8 , , .9 , , 9.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, 62 , , 10 , , 19.2 , , .469 , , .271 , , .527 , , 3.5 , , 2.1 , , .5 , , .5 , , 5.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 747 , , 242 , , 20.5 , , .474 , , .302 , , .679 , , 3.6 , , 2.1 , , .8 , , .9 , , 7.7

Playoffs

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

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

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, 4 , , 0 , , 5.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , – , , .3 , , .3 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

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

, 3 , , 0 , , 9.3 , , .333 , , .400 , , .700 , , 2.0 , , .0 , , .3 , , .0 , , 6.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

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

, 2 , , 0 , , 6.0 , , .333 , , – , , .000 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

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

, 10 , , 0 , , 9.8 , , .480 , , .444 , , .667 , , 1.5 , , .6 , , .3 , , .0 , , 3.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

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

, 5 , , 5 , , 32.2 , , .548 , , .538 , , .643 , , 6.0 , , 4.8 , , 1.2 , , 1.2 , , 12.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 24 , , 5 , , 13.3 , , .467 , , .464 , , .545 , , 2.3 , , 1.3 , , .4 , , .3 , , 4.8

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2007–08 , style="text-align:left;", Wake Forest , 30 , , 28 , , 29.2 , , .487 , , .280 , , .689 , , 8.1 , , 1.2 , , 1.4 , , 1.3 , , 14.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2008–09 , style="text-align:left;", Wake Forest , 31 , , 31 , , 30.5 , , .542 , , .319 , , .697 , , 8.5 , , 2.0 , , 1.4 , , 1.5 , , 15.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 61 , , 59 , , 29.9 , , .515 , , .296 , , .693 , , 8.3 , , 1.6 , , 1.4 , , 1.4 , , 14.8

Personal life

Johnson is of

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

and Samoan heritage. He is a black belt in Karate and has a kickboxing record of 20–0 and has also fought in MMA. Johnson has a tattoo of his son's name, "Naymin", inscribed around his front neck. Johnson was arrested for

domestic assault Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

on June 7, 2014, after allegedly hitting and choking his wife, Callie, at their home. On June 30, 2014, the domestic assault case against Johnson was dismissed after his wife failed to appear in court. The couple later

divorced Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...

, with Callie gaining custody of their son.

References

External links

Wake Forest Demon Deacons bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, James 1987 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Canada American male karateka American male kickboxers American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing karate American men's basketball players American sportspeople of Samoan descent Basketball players from Wyoming Brooklyn Nets players Chicago Bulls draft picks Chicago Bulls players Dallas Mavericks players Iowa Energy players Memphis Grizzlies players Miami Heat players Minnesota Timberwolves players New Orleans Pelicans players Power forwards (basketball) Rio Grande Valley Vipers players Sacramento Kings players Small forwards Sportspeople from Cheyenne, Wyoming Toronto Raptors players Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball players 20th-century African-American people