Larry Johnson Net Worth, Career, Personal Life

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Larry Johnson Net Worth

Larry Johnson net worth is $10 million as a former American professional basketball player. American power forward Larry Johnson, born on March 14, 1969, played professionally for the National Basketball Association’s Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks (NBA). Johnson was admitted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. On November 24, 2019, he was then admitted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

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Career

High School Career And College

Johnson was a member of the 1987 McDonald’s High School All-American Team during his final year of high school.

Johnson started his academic career at Texas Odessa College despite having a formal commitment to Southern Methodist University. He participated in the 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons, scoring 22.3 points per game as a freshman and over 29 points per game as a sophomore. He won the National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1 Player of the Year award both years he played, making him the first and, as of this writing, the only player to do so. Even some basketball observers thought Johnson might have been selected in the first round of the 1989 NBA draft (possibly even in the NBA lottery) if he had declared for early entry.

Johnson eventually changed schools to play for head coach Jerry Tarkanian at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Johnson participated in the 1990 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament championship game against the Duke Blue Devils alongside future NBA players Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony. Johnson contributed 22 points and 11 rebounds as UNLV went on to win the game 103-73. The largest victory margin and highest score in an NCAA Tournament championship game were both set by the Runnin’ Rebels, both of which were NCAA records at the same time.

UNLV won the West Regional Tournament in the 1991 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament but lost to eventual champion Duke in the Final Four. Johnson won the Big West Conference Player of the Year and tournament Most Valuable Player Awards in 1990 and 1991.

He was also twice chosen to be the First Team All-American. He was also selected as the 1991 Naismith College Player of the Year in addition to receiving the renowned John R. Wooden Award. Despite just playing two seasons, Johnson currently holds UNLV’s 12th and 7th spots in the career scoring and rebounding rankings, respectively. Additionally, he is the field goal percentage leader for both the single-season and career.

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Professional Career

The Charlotte Hornets chose Johnson first overall in the 1991 NBA Draft, and he earned NBA Rookie of the Year in his debut campaign. Additionally, he participated in the 1992 NBA All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest in Orlando, where he lost to Phoenix Suns player Cedric Ceballos.

Johnson had his finest statistical season in 1993, averaging 22.1 points and 10.5 rebounds in 82 games, earning him a spot on the All-NBA Second Team. Johnson was the first Hornet in the history of the team to start that year’s All-Star Game.

Johnson was a member of the Hornets during the early to mid-1990s, when they were at the height of their success, along with Alonzo Mourning, Muggsy Bogues, and Dell Curry. Johnson was on the cover of the first edition of SLAM during this time, going by the initials “LJ” and the moniker “Grandmama” (a result of a well-known series of advertisements for Converse, which signed Johnson to an endorsement contract when he entered the NBA).

Johnson joined the Hornets in October 1993 and agreed to a 12-year, $84 million contract, which at the time was the most costly in NBA history. He did miss 31 games, though, as a result of a back injury he sustained on December 27, 1993, while playing against the Detroit Pistons. He participated in the summer’s 1994 FIBA World Championship with the United States national team, earning the gold medal.

With an average of nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds per game when he first entered the NBA, Johnson was an explosive power forward. Johnson was forced to develop an all-around game with a better outside shooting after suffering a back ailment, though. He made 81 three-pointers in the 1994–95 season, over 60 more than in his first three years combined, and was chosen for the 1995 NBA All-Star Game.

Johnson and Mourning’s conflict compelled the organization to evolve, and the Hornets’ actions as a result put both players on new teams. Mourning was traded to the Miami Heat before the 1995–96 campaign in exchange for Glen Rice and Matt Geiger. After that season, Johnson was exchanged for Anthony Mason and Brad Lohaus by the New York Knicks.

In his first season with the Knicks, Johnson averaged 12.8 points, a career-low, and despite the fact that he would never regain his All-Star form, he was an important part of the squad that won the Eastern Conference in 1999.

He was fouled by Indiana Pacers player Antonio Davis during a crucial play in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Johnson held the ball and started to dribble with 11.9 seconds left, standing outside the three-point line. He jumped up and leaned into Davis, the defender. Johnson released the ball just before the foul was called, but it was still considered a continuing shooting foul.

Johnson’s four-point play, which resulted in the Knicks winning 92-91, was made up of a successful jumper and a successful free throw after the basket.

The Knicks were referred to by Johnson as a group of “rebellious slaves” during the 1999 NBA Finals. Later, Johnson and his actions were referred to as a “disgrace” by Bill Walton.

Johnson’s point total had dropped for three straight years when he declared on October 10, 2001, that he was quitting basketball early due to persistent back issues that had bothered him for a number of years.

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Post-Playing Career

Johnson indicated an interest in returning to basketball with the Knicks in a “leadership capacity” in July 2007. Johnson graduated from UNLV with a bachelor of arts in social science studies on December 21, 2007. On April 8, 2012, the Knicks hired him as a basketball and business operations representative. Johnson was honored by the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. He was admitted to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.

Film And Television

Johnson made an appearance in the 1993 Family Matters episode “Grandmama” as his alter ego “Grandmama,” who joins Steve Urkel’s team in a basketball competition. He appeared as a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman later that year.

Three years later, he made himself visible in the films Eddie and Space Jam; in the latter, he played a fictionalized version of himself in a supporting part. Along with Patrick Ewing, Muggsy Bogues, Shawn Bradley, Charles Barkley, and Muggsy Bogues, he was an NBA player whose basketball skills were taken.

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Personal Life

Johnson became a Muslim. He observed Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, during the NBA season. Johnson has four ladies and five kids. He claimed he owed more than $120,000 in overdue child support when he filed for bankruptcy in a California court in 2015.