Avery Johnson Basketball coach Date of Birth: 25.03.1965 Country: USA

Biography of Avery Johnson

Avery Johnson, a former professional basketball player, was born in 1965 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He developed a passion for basketball from a young age and led his high school team to victory in the Class 4A Louisiana State Championship, going undefeated throughout the season. After graduating, Johnson attended New Mexico Junior College before transferring to Cameron University. He eventually completed his education at Southern University in Louisiana.

During his college career, Johnson gained recognition for his exceptional passing skills, averaging 13.3 assists per game in his final season. This record remains unbroken in the league to this day. Despite his talent, Johnson was not selected in the NBA Draft of 1988. He signed a contract with the Palm Beach Stingrays in the United States Basketball League (USBL) and later joined the Seattle SuperSonics.

Over the next 16 years, Johnson played for various teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA), including the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, and Dallas Mavericks. He achieved significant success with the San Antonio Spurs in the early 1990s, winning the NBA World Championship Series. In 2004, Johnson signed his first coaching contract with the Dallas Mavericks while still playing for the same team.

On October 28, 2004, the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks officially offered Johnson the opportunity to retire from playing and dedicate his time to coaching. After a year, Johnson was appointed as the head coach of the team. In his first year as a coach, the Mavericks achieved remarkable success, losing only two games in the season and advancing to the playoffs, where they defeated the favored Houston Rockets in the first round.

Johnson received his second NBA Coach of the Month award in November 2005. On January 28, 2006, after the Mavericks defeated the Utah Jazz, Johnson achieved his 50th victory, becoming the "fastest" coach in NBA history. In February of the same year, he was selected as the coach of the 2006 NBA All-Star team. The 2006 season concluded with the Mavericks having the second-best record in the Western Conference.

In April 2006, Johnson received the NBA Coach of the Year Award, recognizing him as the best coach in the league. The following season was also successful, but the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, leading to Johnson's dismissal.

During the 2008 season, Johnson worked as a basketball analyst for ESPN. However, he soon received an offer to become the head coach of the struggling New Jersey Nets, which he accepted. Currently, Avery Johnson lives with his wife, Cassandra, and their two sons, Avery Jr and CJ.