# Larry Johnson (basketball, born 1969)
**Larry Johnson** (full name Larry Demetric Johnson; nicknamed "Grandmama" and "LJ") is an American retired professional basketball player, a 6 ft 7 in, 250 lb power forward who was the first overall pick of the 1991 NBA Draft, won the 1992 NBA Rookie of the Year Award with the [Charlotte Hornets](https://www.edgepedia.org/charlotte-hornets), and finished his ten-year playing career with the [New York Knicks](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-knicks) in 2001.[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsla02.html) • [2](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson) He is not the same person as the other NBA players named Larry Johnson, such as the 1954-born shooting guard who played one season for the [Buffalo Braves](https://www.edgepedia.org/buffalo-braves), or the McNeese State guard born in the mid-2000s.[3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsla01.html) • [4](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/larry-johnson-13.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969, Tyler, Texas; attended Skyline High School in Dallas[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsla02.html) |
| College | Odessa College (two-time NJCAA Player of the Year, 1988 and 1989), then UNLV (1989–91)[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsla02.html) • [5](https://tshof.org/inductee/larry-johnson/) |
| College honors | 1990 NCAA champion with UNLV; 1991 Wooden Award and Naismith College Player of the Year; two-time consensus first-team All-American[5](https://tshof.org/inductee/larry-johnson/) • [6](https://unlvrebels.com/news/2019/4/2/mens-basketball-larry-johnson-selected-to-national-collegiate-basketball-hall-of-fame.aspx) |
| NBA draft | First overall pick, Charlotte Hornets, 1991; the first UNLV player ever chosen No. 1 overall in a professional league draft[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsla02.html) • [7](https://www.snshf.com/hall-of-famers/larry-johnson) |
| NBA honors | Rookie of the Year 1992; All-Star 1993 and 1995; All-NBA Second Team 1993[2](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson) |
| Career averages | 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game in 707 games; 11,450 total points[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsla02.html) • [8](https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1991.html) |
| Signature moment | A four-point play with 5.7 seconds left in Game 3 of the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals, keying a 92–91 Knicks win[2](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson) |
| After playing | New York Knicks basketball and business operations representative since 2012[2](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson) • [5](https://tshof.org/inductee/larry-johnson/) |
## Early life and junior college
Johnson was born in [Tyler, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/tyler-texas), and played high school basketball at Skyline in Dallas, where he was a 1987 McDonald's High School All-American for coach J.D. Mayo.[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsla02.html) • [5](https://tshof.org/inductee/larry-johnson/) He began his college career at Odessa College in Texas, where he became the first two-time NJCAA Player of the Year, winning the award in 1988 and 1989.[5](https://tshof.org/inductee/larry-johnson/)
## UNLV
Johnson transferred to UNLV in 1989 and played two seasons for coach [Jerry Tarkanian](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerry-tarkanian)'s Runnin' Rebels, averaging 21.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per game over those two years.[6](https://unlvrebels.com/news/2019/4/2/mens-basketball-larry-johnson-selected-to-national-collegiate-basketball-hall-of-fame.aspx) In his two seasons he scored 1,617 points and collected 837 rebounds, and he remains the program's single-season record holder with 457 rebounds in 1989–90.[6](https://unlvrebels.com/news/2019/4/2/mens-basketball-larry-johnson-selected-to-national-collegiate-basketball-hall-of-fame.aspx)
The 1990 team won the NCAA championship, UNLV's only men's basketball national title, and Johnson is embedded in that banner.[9](https://anythingforsports.com/news/legends/larry-johnson-at-unlv-from-national-champion-to-no-1-nba-draft-pick-67964) In the title game against Duke he had 22 points and 11 rebounds in a 103–73 win, the largest margin of victory ever in an NCAA title game.[5](https://tshof.org/inductee/larry-johnson/) As a senior in 1990–91 he led the Rebels to a perfect 27–0 regular season record before an upset loss to Duke in the Final Four; the team finished 34–1 alongside stars Stacey Augmon and [Greg Anthony](https://www.edgepedia.org/greg-anthony).[5](https://tshof.org/inductee/larry-johnson/) • [10](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/towns-y-booker-cousins-y-wall-cuando-el-poder-nba-fallo-en-el-madness-n/)
Individually, Johnson was a two-time consensus first-team All-American and two-time Big West Player of the Year, and in 1991 he swept the national player-of-the-year honors, winning the John R. Wooden Award, the [Naismith College Player of the Year](https://www.edgepedia.org/naismith-college-player-of-the-year) award, and consensus National Player of the Year recognition.[6](https://unlvrebels.com/news/2019/4/2/mens-basketball-larry-johnson-selected-to-national-collegiate-basketball-hall-of-fame.aspx) • [5](https://tshof.org/inductee/larry-johnson/) • [11](https://www.woodenaward.com/athletes/larry-johnson/) He was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019, the first UNLV player to earn that honor, and into the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002.[6](https://unlvrebels.com/news/2019/4/2/mens-basketball-larry-johnson-selected-to-national-collegiate-basketball-hall-of-fame.aspx)
## NBA career
**Charlotte Hornets, 1991–96.** The expansion-era Charlotte Hornets made Johnson the first overall pick of the June 26, 1991 draft, held in New York; the Los Angeles Times described him on draft day as a 6 ft 5½ in, 250-pound bruiser.[8](https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1991.html) • [12](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-06-27-sp-2168-story.html) The choice followed an internal debate in which head scout Dave Twardzik favored 7 ft 1 in [Dikembe Mutombo](https://www.edgepedia.org/dikembe-mutombo) and coach Gene Littles publicly preferred Billy Owens before the organization settled on Johnson.[12](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-06-27-sp-2168-story.html) He made an immediate impact, averaging 19.2 points and 11.0 rebounds as a rookie in 1991–92 and winning Rookie of the Year.[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsla02.html) • [2](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson) In his second season he raised his scoring to a career-high 22.1 points per game, earned All-NBA Second Team honors, and was named an All-Star for the first time.[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsla02.html) • [2](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson) He averaged 20 or more points twice as a Hornet and was an All-Star again in 1995.[2](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson) A physical power forward with an emphasis on the "power," he drew regular comparisons to a young [Charles Barkley](https://www.edgepedia.org/charles-barkley).[13](https://sneakernews.com/2010/10/20/sneaker-news-goes-1-on-1-with-larry-johnson/)
**New York Knicks, 1996–2001.** Charlotte traded Johnson to the Knicks on July 14, 1996, for [Anthony Mason](https://www.edgepedia.org/anthony-mason-basketball) and Brad Lohaus.[2](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson) In five New York seasons he averaged 12.3 points in 330 games, served as co-captain in each of his last four seasons, and helped the Knicks reach the playoffs every year, culminating in the 1999 Eastern Conference championship.[2](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson) In Game 3 of the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals against Indiana, on June 5, 1999, he made one of the most famous shots in NBA history, a three-point field goal plus a free throw (a four-point play) with 5.7 seconds left, keying a 92–91 win and an eventual series triumph.[2](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson) He ranks 38th on the Knicks' all-time career scoring list with 4,045 points.[2](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson)
**Injuries and retirement.** Back problems reshaped Johnson's career. Hampered by back pain in his final season, he announced his retirement on October 10, 2001.[2](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson) Across ten seasons he played 707 games and compiled career averages of 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, with 11,450 total points, and earned at least $83,132,856 in salary.[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsla02.html) • [8](https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1991.html)
## International play and off-court life
Johnson represented the United States as a member of the 1994 FIBA World Championship team.[5](https://tshof.org/inductee/larry-johnson/) During his playing days he was heavily involved in the Make-A-Wish program, and in 1994 he donated $1 million toward building the Larry Johnson Recreation Center in cooperation with the City of Dallas.[2](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson) He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.[5](https://tshof.org/inductee/larry-johnson/)
After retiring, he returned to UNLV to finish his degree, receiving it at winter commencement at the [Thomas & Mack Center](https://www.edgepedia.org/thomas-and-mack-center) in December 2007, fulfilling a promise to his mother.[14](https://unlvrebels.com/news/2007/12/21/runnin_rebel_legend_walks.aspx) In April 2012 the Knicks named him to a front-office post in which he works with basketball operations on player development, with community relations in support of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, and on fan and business initiatives; the Texas Sports Hall of Fame describes his current role as a basketball and business operations representative for the Knicks.[2](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson) • [5](https://tshof.org/inductee/larry-johnson/) He also appeared alongside fellow UNLV legends Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony in connection with "UNLV: Kings of Vegas," a documentary about the Runnin' Rebels shown at the Summer League Film Festival.[15](https://apnews.com/article/a9289bf22a58a716ae8d6fd9ef346399)
## Legacy
Johnson's career is defined by two phases: an undersized but dominant power forward who averaged a double-double in his first two NBA seasons, and an adapted veteran who extended his career five more years in New York after back injuries took away his explosiveness.[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsla02.html) • [2](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson) He remains a celebrated figure in both of his NBA cities, remembered fondly in New York and in Charlotte, where he took part in the franchise's 30-year legacy team.[16](https://as.com/us/2018/12/26/masdeporte/1545856403_398157.html) His combination of strength and athleticism at 6 ft 7 in has made him a recurring comparison for later powerful forwards, including [Zion Williamson](https://www.edgepedia.org/zion-williamson).[13](https://sneakernews.com/2010/10/20/sneaker-news-goes-1-on-1-with-larry-johnson/)
## References
1. [Larry Johnson Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more, Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsla02.html)
2. [Larry Johnson, New York Knicks, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/knicks/larry-johnson)
3. [Larry Johnson (born 1954) Stats, Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsla01.html)
4. [Larry Johnson College Stats (McNeese), Sports-Reference](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/larry-johnson-13.html)
5. [Johnson, Larry, Texas Sports Hall of Fame](https://tshof.org/inductee/larry-johnson/)
6. [Larry Johnson Selected To National Collegiate Basketball Hall Of Fame, UNLV Athletics](https://unlvrebels.com/news/2019/4/2/mens-basketball-larry-johnson-selected-to-national-collegiate-basketball-hall-of-fame.aspx)
7. [Larry Johnson, Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame](https://www.snshf.com/hall-of-famers/larry-johnson)
8. [1991 NBA Draft, Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1991.html)
9. [Larry Johnson at UNLV: From National Champion to No. 1 NBA Draft Pick, Anything for Sports](https://anythingforsports.com/news/legends/larry-johnson-at-unlv-from-national-champion-to-no-1-nba-draft-pick-67964)
10. [Cuando el 'poder NBA' falló en el Madness, AS.com](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/towns-y-booker-cousins-y-wall-cuando-el-poder-nba-fallo-en-el-madness-n/)
11. [Larry Johnson, John R. Wooden Award](https://www.woodenaward.com/athletes/larry-johnson/)
12. [Beyond 6 Players, It's a Reach: NBA draft, Los Angeles Times, June 27, 1991](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-06-27-sp-2168-story.html)
13. [Sneaker News Goes 1 on 1 With Larry Johnson, SneakerNews.com](https://sneakernews.com/2010/10/20/sneaker-news-goes-1-on-1-with-larry-johnson/)
14. [Runnin' Rebel Legend Walks, UNLV Athletics](https://unlvrebels.com/news/2007/12/21/runnin_rebel_legend_walks.aspx)
15. [Hollywood meets NBA hardwood: A look inside the rise of the Summer League Film Festival, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/a9289bf22a58a716ae8d6fd9ef346399)
16. [¿Qué fue de Larry Johnson?, AS.com](https://as.com/us/2018/12/26/masdeporte/1545856403_398157.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › NBA players, 1980–1995 › NBA forwards, 1980–1995*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license