Larry Johnson Former American basketball player Date of Birth: 14.03.1969 Country: USA

Larry Demetric Johnson: Biography

Larry Demetric Johnson is a former American basketball player who spent the majority of his professional career in the NBA, playing for the Charlotte Hornets and the New York Knicks. Johnson began playing basketball at Odessa College from 1988 to 1989 before transferring to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV). Under the guidance of coach Jerry Tarkanian, Johnson trained alongside future NBA stars Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony, learning from the legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski.

In 1991, Johnson was drafted as the first overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets. He proved his worth by winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award in the same year. In 1992, Johnson participated in the slam dunk championship, narrowly being defeated by Cedric Ceballos of the Phoenix Suns. In 1993, Johnson became a candidate for the NBA All-Star Game, marking the first time in Charlotte Hornets' history. Alongside Alonzo Mourning, Muggsy Bogues, and Rex Chapman, Johnson helped lead the Hornets to success.

Johnson's popularity soared, and he graced the cover of the inaugural issue of the magazine "SLAM." In October 1993, he signed a record-breaking contract with the Hornets worth $84 million, which at the time was the most lucrative in NBA history. Unfortunately, Johnson suffered a back injury soon after signing the contract, causing him to miss 31 games. Despite this setback, he returned to form and continued to impress fans with his exceptional performance.

However, conflicts arose between Johnson and Mourning, leading to tensions within the team. The management attempted to resolve the issue by trading Mourning for Glen Rice and Matt Geiger. Yet, after a year, Johnson was traded to the New York Knicks. Although his performance declined in New York, Johnson played a crucial role in leading the Knicks to the top of the Eastern Conference in 1999.

On October 10, 2001, Johnson announced his retirement from professional basketball due to severe back problems that had been affecting his overall performance for several years. In July 2007, he expressed his interest in returning to the Knicks in a leadership role. Following his retirement from sports, Johnson pursued further education and completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Nevada in December 2007.