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 (appro ...

player. He played 10 seasons in the

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

(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 Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

– 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 United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

and

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...

, 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 Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

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 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 The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly shortened to Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Division (1967–1970), and ...

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 is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

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, Florida, United States. Located in North Central Florida, the city's population was 63,591 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 56,315 at the 2010 census and making ...

, and raised in Weirsdale, Florida, 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 College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

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

from 1973 to 1977. He led the

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...

(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 eithe ...

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 Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...

, 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 Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

. 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, where he scored 22 points on 11-of-16 shooting. He returned as a starter in the 1981 NBA All-Star Game, 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. This would b ...

. 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, nominated to the All-CBA First Team and selected as the CBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player in 1987. 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. Notable ...

. 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, also known colloquially 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 Atlan ...

, 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 a ...

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, with Johnson never returning to play again afterward. 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

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 (United States), county in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, and is a core county of the Atlanta metropolitan area in the north-central portion of the state. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 766, ...

, 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 (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that each last from days to weeks, and in some cases months. If the elevated m ...

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 1981 NBA Finals, NBA Finals. As of 2023, ...

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 current president and part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was previously the president of the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals. Long involved in Atlanta professional sports, he also serv ...

contacted Johnson's psychiatrist, who signed a commitment order to have Johnson placed in

Grady Memorial Hospital Grady Memorial Hospital is the public hospital for the city of Atlanta. The hospital is ranked as the tenth largest public hospital in the United States and is a Level I trauma center. History Grady Memorial Hospital was founded in 1890 and op ...

. 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, battery, robbery, drug possession, assault on a police officer and resisting arrest. 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 sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl in her home at Parkside Garden Apartments in

. The arrest created additional controversy when multiple publications used the picture of another former NBA player (and current broadcaster) 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 the 8-year-old girl. Johnson denied doing anything inappropriate. The sex crimes carried a mandatory life sentence without parole. Johnson was incarcerated at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution.

Death

Johnson died in prison 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 List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, 79 , , – , , 23.7 , , .484 , , – , , .816 , , 1.9 , , 3.0 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 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 is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

, 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 the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, 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 ...

, 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 song ...

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

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

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

, 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 Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...

, 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 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

, 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 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 NBA All-Stars NBA players banned for drug offenses People with bipolar disorder 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 sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen Doping cases in basketball