Vincent Johnson (born September 1, 1956), is an American former 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 and a key player as

sixth man The sixth man in basketball is a player who is not a starter but comes off the bench much more often than other reserves, often being the first player to be substituted in. The sixth man often plays minutes equal to or exceeding some of the sta ...

for 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 ...

during the team's

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) championships of 1989 and

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

. He was nicknamed "the Microwave" in the NBA for his ability to score quickly off the bench.

College basketball career

Johnson began his collegiate basketball career in 1975 at

McLennan Community College McLennan Community College (MCC) is a public community college in McLennan County, Texas. Located in Waco, Texas, it opened in 1965. MCC now serves about 9,000 students and has more than 700 employees. It is governed by a Board of Trustees ele ...

Waco, Texas Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the ...

. He was a star there for two years, leading the team to the

NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...

national tournament in the 1976-77 season while averaging 29 points per game and being named a junior college All-American. Johnson transferred across town to attend

Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the fir ...

for the 1977–78 and 1978-79 seasons. One of the most prolific scorers in Baylor basketball history, Johnson averaged 24.1 points per game in his two seasons in

Waco Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

. A two-time All-American, Johnson is the school record-holder in points-per-game average, ranks 15th in career points, and third in career assists average at Baylor. He was named All- SWC in both 1978 and 1979. Johnson also holds the Baylor record for most points scored in a game with 50 against TCU in 1979.

Professional basketball career

Johnson was chosen as the No. 7 overall pick in the 1979 NBA draft by 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 ...

. He was traded to the Detroit Pistons in November 1981.The Microwave
/ref> During the 1982-83 NBA season, Johnson scored a career high 15.8 points a game while starting in 51 of the 82 games he played in. For the rest of his career, he would mostly play as an important role player coming off the bench. At 6 feet 2 inches tall, Johnson's skill set allowed him to come off the bench to replace either

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...

Isiah Thomas or

shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. A shooting guard's m ...

Joe Dumars. Johnson earned the nickname "the

Microwave Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from about one meter to one millimeter corresponding to frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz respectively. Different sources define different frequency ran ...

" from

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

guard

Danny Ainge Daniel Ray Ainge ( ; born March 17, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and former professional baseball player who serves as an executive for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A three-sp ...

for his ability heat up an offense by scoring both fast and frequently when inserted into the game. On June 14, 1990, Johnson made a championship-clinching 14-foot shot with 0.7 seconds left to beat the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

92–90 in Game 5 of the

NBA Finals 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 awa ...

. The shot, which gave Detroit a repeat championship, briefly earned Johnson a new nickname: 007. Johnson left the Pistons following the 1990–91 season, playing a final season with the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

before retiring from the NBA in 1992. The Pistons honored Johnson's career by retiring his number 15 jersey in a ceremony on February 5, 1994, at

The Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Shoc ...

. Johnson was influenced by New York City playground legend and basketball Hall of Famer

Earl Monroe Vernon Earl Monroe (born November 21, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player. He played for two teams, the Baltimore Bullets and the New York Knicks, during his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Both teams ...

growing up, and only wore number 15 throughout his playing days. When asked about it by a fan later he said, "It was a huge honor. The fact that they retired my jersey tells me that I did some great things for the organization."

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , 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 ...

, 38 , , , , 8.6 , , .391 , , .000 , , .795 , , 1.4 , , 1.4 , , .5 , , .1 , , 3.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , , , 28.5 , , .534 , , .200 , , .793 , , 4.5 , , 4.2 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 13.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 7 , , 0 , , 14.9 , , .409 , , .000 , , .750 , , 2.1 , , 1.6 , , .9 , , .3 , , 3.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, 67 , , 15 , , 17.8 , , .493 , , .273 , , .754 , , 2.1 , , 2.4 , , .7 , , .3 , , 7.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 51 , , 30.6 , , .513 , , .275 , , .778 , , 4.3 , , 3.7 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , 15.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 0 , , 23.3 , , .473 , , .211 , , .753 , , 2.9 , , 3.3 , , .5 , , .2 , , 13.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 16 , , 25.5 , , .454 , , .185 , , .769 , , 3.1 , , 4.0 , , .9 , , .2 , , 12.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 79 , , 12 , , 25.0 , , .467 , , .154 , , .771 , , 2.9 , , 3.4 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 13.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 78 , , 8 , , 27.8 , , .462 , , .286 , , .786 , , 3.3 , , 3.8 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 15.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 1 , , 23.6 , , .443 , , .208 , , .677 , , 2.8 , , 3.3 , , .7 , , .2 , , 12.2 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 21 , , 25.3 , , .464 , , .295 , , .734 , , 3.1 , , 3.0 , , .9 , , .2 , , 13.8 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 12 , , 24.0 , , .431 , , .147 , , .668 , , 3.1 , , 3.1 , , .9 , , .2 , , 9.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 28 , , 29.1 , , .434 , , .324 , , .646 , , 3.4 , , 3.3 , , .9 , , .2 , , 11.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, 60 , , 23 , , 22.5 , , .405 , , .317 , , .647 , , 3.0 , , 2.4 , , .7 , , .2 , , 8.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 984 , , 187 , , 24.7 , , .464 , , .254 , , .740 , , 3.2 , , 3.3 , , .9 , , .3 , , 12.0

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1980 , style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , , , 2.4 , , .333 , , , , , , .4 , , .4 , , .2 , , .0 , , .4 , - , 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;",

, 5 , , , , 26.4 , , .370 , , .000 , , .895 , , 2.8 , , 2.4 , , .2 , , .2 , , 10.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

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

, 9 , , 0 , , 26.1 , , .515 , , .000 , , .786 , , 3.0 , , 3.2 , , .7 , , .1 , , 14.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

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

, 4 , , 0 , , 21.3 , , .449 , , .000 , , .538 , , 4.3 , , 2.8 , , .8 , , .0 , , 12.8 , - , 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;",

, 15 , , 0 , , 25.9 , , .459 , , .000 , , .861 , , 2.9 , , 4.1 , , .6 , , .3 , , 14.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

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

, 23 , , 0 , , 20.7 , , .423 , , .143 , , .660 , , 3.3 , , 1.9 , , .7 , , .2 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", 1989 , style="text-align:left;",

, 17 , , 0 , , 21.9 , , .455 , , .417 , , .758 , , 2.6 , , 2.5 , , .2 , , .2 , , 14.1 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",

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

, 20 , , 0 , , 23.2 , , .462 , , .286 , , .791 , , 2.8 , , 2.7 , , .4 , , .2 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

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

, 15 , , 3 , , 29.2 , , .464 , , .154 , , .710 , , 5.1 , , 2.9 , , .7 , , .3 , , 15.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

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

, 3 , , 0 , , 23.0 , , .458 , , .500 , , .500 , , 2.7 , , 2.3 , , 1.7 , , .3 , , 8.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 116 , , 3 , , 23.0 , , .453 , , .274 , , .754 , , 3.1 , , 2.6 , , .6 , , .2 , , 12.0

Personal life

Johnson grew up in

Brooklyn, New York 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 ...

, attending Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School. Johnson has a younger brother,

Eric Johnson Eric Johnson may refer to: Music *Eric Johnson (guitarist) (born 1954) an American guitarist and recording artist * Eric D. Johnson (born 1976), member of multiple indie-rock bands including Fruit Bats, The Shins and Califone Politics * Eric Joh ...

, who played a season in the NBA with the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

. Following his career with the Detroit Pistons, Johnson established Piston Automotive in 1995. The company found success as a supplier for major international automotive companies, particularly the

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

and

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

. Johnson serves as the Piston Group's

chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

and chief executive officer. He has also served as the chairman of the Board of Directors for the joint ventures JL Automotive LLC and PASA Modules, LLC. In addition to his post-playing career professional work, Johnson is a member of the Michigan Minority Business Development Council, and the Detroit Chamber of Commerce.

References

External links

*
Vinnie Johnson Q & A

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Vinnie 1956 births 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American people African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from New York City Baylor Bears men's basketball players Detroit Pistons announcers Detroit Pistons players Junior college men's basketball players in the United States Living people McLennan Community College alumni National Basketball Association players with retired numbers San Antonio Spurs players Seattle SuperSonics draft picks Seattle SuperSonics players Shooting guards Sportspeople from Brooklyn

College basketball career

Professional basketball career

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Personal life

See also

References

External links