Mickey Johnson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Johnson was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the fourth round of the 1974 NBA draft and immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls. He averaged 3.8 points per game as a rookie, then improved to 17.3 points and 10.2 rebounds in 1976–77. On April 17, 1977, in a first-round loss to Portland, he scored a playoff career-high 34 points and added 14 rebounds. The following season he averaged 18.3 points and 9.1 rebounds, and on February 26, 1978, he scored 30 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in a 100–99 loss to Portland. He signed with the Indiana Pacers in 1979, averaging a career-high 19.1 points. On January 30, 1980, he scored 41 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists in a 119–120 loss to the Washington Bullets. On February 14, 1980, he set a career high with 6 blocks in a 118–114 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1980. During the 1981 playoffs, he led the Bucks to a Game 6 win with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 steals. In Game 7, the Bucks lost 99–98, with a delay of two hours and sixteen minutes as coach Don Nelson contested a 24-second violation. On April 25, 1982, he scored 28 points and 4 steals in a Game 1 loss to the 76ers. He also played for the New Jersey Nets and Golden State Warriors. On March 10, 1983, while with the Warriors, he recorded a triple double with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 119–109 win over the Houston Rockets. He retired in 1986 with 12,748 career points and 6,465 career rebounds. He was called 'Rubberman' by teammates due to his ability to stretch and grab rebounds and block shots despite his slender frame. He later became head men's basketball coach at Malcolm X College in Chicago.

In Their Own Story

The turning point of Johnson's Chicago tenure was his explosive growth from a bench role to a primary option. After averaging only 3.8 points as a rookie in 1974–75, he became the Bulls' starting forward/center by mid-season two. His versatility allowed him to dominate specific matchups, most notably against Portland. In the 1976 playoffs, he dropped 34 points and 14 rebounds in a game that defined his early career high-water mark. Just a year later, on February 26, 1978, he delivered another massive double-double with 30 points and 21 rebounds against the same opponent. Although the Bulls eventually traded him to Indiana in 1979 for free agency reasons, those seasons established him as a key figure who could carry an offensive load and deliver in high-stakes elimination games.

Reader's Guide

Johnson was a versatile forward/center known for scoring, rebounding, and defense. He played for the Bulls, Pacers, Bucks, Nets, and Warriors. His playoff career-high was 34 points on April 17, 1977.

Did You Know?

• Johnson and teammate Marques Johnson were the first two NBA players to have their full first and last names on their jerseys.
• He ran unsuccessfully for alderman of Chicago's 24th Ward in 2015 and was a finalist for an appointment in 2022.
• In 2017, he described Colin Kaepernick as a 'patriot' for his anthem protests.
• He is the uncle of former NBA forward Linton Johnson.