Joe JohnsonAmerican professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association. He was selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft.
Date of Birth: 29.06.1981
Country: USA |
Content:
Early Career: Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns
Joe Johnson was selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. In his rookie season, he played in 48 games, starting 33, and averaged 6.3 points in 20.9 minutes per game.
Midway through his debut season, Johnson was traded to the Phoenix Suns with guards Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk and a 2002 first-round draft pick in exchange for Milt Palacio and Randy Brown. In his debut season with the Suns, he averaged 9.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in 29 games.
In the 2002-03 season, Johnson played 82 games, starting 34, and averaged 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He led the Suns in three-point field goal percentage that season.
The following season, Johnson played 82 games, starting 77, and averaged 16.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. He ranked second on the Suns in scoring and led the NBA in minutes played.
In the 2004-05 season, Johnson started all 82 games and averaged 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. He led the Suns in three-point shooting percentage and finished second in the league. In his three and a half seasons with the Suns, Johnson averaged 15.5 points per game and established himself as a reliable scorer.
Atlanta Hawks
In the summer of 2005, Johnson became a highly sought-after restricted free agent and expressed his desire to leave the Suns for a more significant role with the Atlanta Hawks. Johnson was upset with the Suns' offer to re-sign him for below market value, which paled in comparison to the Hawks' offer of $70 million. On August 19, 2005, Johnson joined the Hawks in a sign-and-trade deal that sent Boris Diaw and two future first-round draft picks to Phoenix.
In the 2005-06 season, Johnson led the Hawks in several categories: points (20.2 per game), assists (6.5 per game), steals (1.26 per game), three-pointers made (128), and minutes (40.7). He became the only Hawks player to play in all 82 games and extended his consecutive games played streak to 346 as of November 25, 2006. He was one of only five players in the league to average at least 20 points and six assists in the 2005-06 season.
On February 1, 2006, Johnson recorded his first career triple-double against the Charlotte Bobcats, scoring 15 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and dishing out 11 assists. His 42 points against the Golden State Warriors on March 7, 2006, were a career high, and he had a career-high 17 assists against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 13.
Johnson played for the United States in the 2006 FIBA World Championship, where the team won the bronze medal.
In the 2006-07 season, Johnson started 57 games, averaging 25.0 points (a career high), 4.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. He shot 47.1% from the field, which was also a career high. Johnson made his All-Star debut in 2007 when he was selected by NBA Commissioner David Stern as a replacement for the injured Jason Kidd.
In the first six years of his NBA career, Johnson's points-per-game average increased each year.
In the 2007-08 season, Johnson played 82 games, starting them all, and averaged 21.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. He led the league in minutes played and ranked fifth in field-goal attempts. Johnson was named to the 2008 All-Star Game as a reserve. He was also recognized as the Eastern Conference Player of the Month once and Player of the Week twice. He helped the Hawks reach the playoffs for the first time in nine years. In Game 4 of the first round against the Celtics, Johnson scored 35 points (including 20 in the fourth quarter) to help the Hawks win 97-92. The Celtics would go on to win the series in seven games.
On December 23, 2008, Johnson recorded his second career triple-double in a Hawks victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, scoring 20 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out 11 assists. On January 31, 2009, he passed the 10,000-point mark for his NBA career in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Brooklyn Nets
On July 11, 2012, Johnson was traded to the Brooklyn Nets for Jordan Williams, Johan Petro, DeShawn Stevenson, Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar, and two draft picks (Houston's 2013 first-round pick and the Nets' 2017 second-round pick).
In the second game of the 2014-15 season against the Detroit Pistons, Johnson scored a season-high 34 points, hitting 14 of 23 shots from the field, as the Nets defeated the Pistons 102-90. On February 25, 2015, in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Johnson became the seventh player in NBA history to record 18,000 points and make 1,600 three-pointers. The Nets qualified for the playoffs that season, but they lost to the Hawks in the first round in six games.
Miami Heat
On February 27, 2016, Johnson signed with the Miami Heat for the remainder of the season. The following day, he made his debut for the Heat in the starting lineup against the New York Knicks. Miami won 98-81, and Johnson scored 12 points, grabbed three rebounds, and dished out three assists in 30 minutes of playing time. On March 1, in a game against the Chicago Bulls, he scored 24 points and moved past Reggie Theus for 50th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Johnson scored a season-high 28 points on March 12 in an overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors. Johnson helped the Miami Heat reach the second round of the playoffs, where they lost to the Raptors in seven games.