5 Must-Know Larry Johnson Facts

There are very few eras in the NBA that had as many excellent power forwards as the 1990s. Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, and Karl Malone are some of the most recognizable names in league history that, unsurprisingly, overshadowed other excellent low-post stars of the time. Charlotte Hornets legend Larry Johnson is one such player.

While Johnson never reached championship heights or massive statistical output, he was still one of the most entertaining, consistent players of the decade, whose career will be highlighted below.

As the first overall pick for the Charlotte Hornets in 1991, Johnson was expected to step in and play big minutes for a lackluster roster. That's exactly what he did as a rookie, playing in all 82 games and amassing 19.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, an impressive mark for a power forward.

Those numbers would be notable for any player in the league, but stood out as a particularly excellent campaign for a first-timer in the NBA. While a stacked forward position prevented Johnson from making the All-Star team as a rookie, he ran away with the Rookie of the Year award, beating out future Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo. 

Johnson quickly followed up his rookie season with another Ironman-esque campaign as a sophomore. He once again played every single game while averaging a whopping 40.5 minutes per game, the highest mark in the league, to go along with 22.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. Those numbers resulted not only in his first All-Star selection, but a spot on the All-NBA Second Team, too.

While his second All-Star season two years later was not quite as prolific, it indicated a notable change in Johnson's game. He put up 18.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per contest, fairly similar stats to his other seasons. However, the forward began to shoot threes and hit them at a shockingly good clip, shooting 38.6% from deep on nearly three attempts per game. It marked Johnson's transition from an athletic, powerful pure post player to a more versatile threat, successfully playing both inside and out. Considering the prevalence of big men shooting threes in the modern NBA, Johnson was ahead of his time.

Strangely, Johnson's biggest career moment came long past his prime playing days with the Hornets. In the 1998-1999 season, Johnson went to the Eastern Conference Finals as a member of the New York Knicks. New York won a hotly contested Game 1 before dropping Game 2, a contest in which Johnson was the team's leading scorer with 22 points. 

However, it was in Game 3 that Johnson turned himself into a New York legend. With about 10 seconds on the clock, the Knicks trailed by three, 91-88. Johnson took what initially looked like an outrageous three that went in as the whistle blew, sending him to the line for a potentially game-winning free throw. Johnson knocked it down, and New York survived 92-91. The Knicks went on to win the series 4-2, and the then-veteran Johnson left his mark on the Big Apple.

Many modern NBA fans will remember Kyrie Irving's "Uncle Drew" commercials, a series in which he dressed up as an old man and proceeded to destroy local pick-up games. They were great fun, and they almost certainly drew inspiration from a few commercials that Johnson made during his playing days.

To advertise a new line of Converse shoes in the early '90s, Johnson filmed a promotion in which he claimed that even a grandmother could play well in shoes by the iconic brand. Predictably, Johnson then dressed up as a grandmother before putting on an array of ridiculously athletic highlights. The advertisements led to fans calling Johnson "Grandmama" affectionately and helped propel his reach far beyond the court.

There are countless athletes who have suffered a career-changing injury, leading to the inevitable, heartbreaking question of what they could have been had they been a little luckier. Johnson doesn't quite fit into that category, but he is close. Chronic back issues began during his time with the Hornets and took a significant toll on his career, particularly towards the end of it.

Once known as one of the more explosive players in the league, Johnson was forced to adapt his game to allow him to play around his injuries during his time on the Knicks. The back issues would eventually play a key role in ending Johnson's career at age 31. It's fair to wonder how different things would have been if he'd been able to stay healthy and play into his mid-30s.

Playing in an age of fantastic forwards has led Johnson to often go overlooked in discussions about the best players at his position throughout the 1990s. However, NBA fans everywhere remember him as not only a good player, but a leader, a strong teammate, and of course, someone who knows how to shoot an enticing commercial. Johnson is an integral part of league history not only because of his play, but because of his off-court personality.