Charles Johnson (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Charles "Charlie" Johnson (March 31, 1949 - June 1, 2007) was an American
professional basketball
player for the Golden State Warriors
and the Washington Bullets of the National Basketball Association
. He was an alumnus of Sequoia High School
and then scored 1000 points in three years at Cal Berkeley.
Johnson was born in Corpus Christi, Texas
and was drafted by the San Francisco Warriors
out of the University of California, Berkeley
in the 6th round, 8th pick of the 1971 NBA Draft
. The 6-foot-0, 170-pound guard played with the Warriors for five seasons and part of a sixth until he was waived in early January 1978.
That misfortune changed to good tidings when he became a member of the 1977-78
NBA Championship
Washington Bullets. On January 24, 1978, the Bullets signed Johnson first to a 10-day trial contract, and then a multi-year deal. In 39 games with Washington, Johnson averaged 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
Elvin Hayes
attributed the Bullets comeback to the acquisition of Johnson. Washington, which had seen injuries deplete their roster throughout the early season, was in dire need of an experienced guard to replace Phil Chenier
, who was finally lost for the season in January.
Johnson scored 80 points in the last four games of the 1978 NBA finals that Washington won, 4-3, over the Seattle SuperSonics
. The Bullets topped the Atlanta Hawks
, San Antonio Spurs
and Philadelphia 76ers
to reach the championship round.
He died of cancer on June 1, 2007, aged 58.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player for the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and the Washington Bullets of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. He was an alumnus of Sequoia High School
Sequoia High School (Redwood City, California)
Sequoia High School is a high school in downtown Redwood City, California, United States. Established in 1895, it is the oldest high school in the San Francisco Bay Area between San Francisco and San Jose. It was founded as a preparatory school for Stanford University...
and then scored 1000 points in three years at Cal Berkeley.
Johnson was born in Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
and was drafted by the San Francisco Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
out of the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in the 6th round, 8th pick of the 1971 NBA Draft
1971 NBA Draft
The 1971 NBA Draft was the 25th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on March 29, 1971 before the 1971–72 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
. The 6-foot-0, 170-pound guard played with the Warriors for five seasons and part of a sixth until he was waived in early January 1978.
That misfortune changed to good tidings when he became a member of the 1977-78
1977-78 NBA season
The 1977–78 NBA season was the 32nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Washington Bullets winning the NBA Championship, beating the Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
NBA Championship
1978 NBA Finals
-Series summary:Bullets win series 4-3-Game 1:The Bullets, behind Kevin Grevey's 27 and Elvin Hayes's 21 points, held a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter at the Seattle Center Coliseum. But, the Sonics staged a comeback in front of the home crowd, led by "instant offense" guard Fred Brown...
Washington Bullets. On January 24, 1978, the Bullets signed Johnson first to a 10-day trial contract, and then a multi-year deal. In 39 games with Washington, Johnson averaged 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
Elvin Hayes
Elvin Hayes
Elvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...
attributed the Bullets comeback to the acquisition of Johnson. Washington, which had seen injuries deplete their roster throughout the early season, was in dire need of an experienced guard to replace Phil Chenier
Phil Chenier
Philip Chenier is a former professional basketball player. He is presentlya television sports broadcaster for the NBA's Washington Wizards.-NBA playing career:...
, who was finally lost for the season in January.
Johnson scored 80 points in the last four games of the 1978 NBA finals that Washington won, 4-3, over the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
. The Bullets topped the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
, San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
and Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
to reach the championship round.
He died of cancer on June 1, 2007, aged 58.
External links
- NBA stats @ basketballreference.com