From High School Benchwarmer to The Hall of Fame

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Today’s story is about a guy who went from warming the bench as a high school senior to becoming Larry Bird’s favorite teammate.

He went from driving a forklift after high school to becoming a 3-time NBA Champion and Hall of Famer.

Here’s what’s coming today:

• The ex-benchwarmer who did the unthinkable

• A Varsity team winning with 7th and 8th graders

• Living proof that guidance counselors aren’t always right

Let’s dive in 👇

How a High School Benchwarmer Became a 3-Time NBA Champion

He sat on the bench as a high school senior and worked as a forklift operator after graduation.

So how did he become a 3-time NBA champion?

Born and raised in Compton, California, Dennis Wayne Johnson faced an uphill battle from the start.

As the middle child of 16 kids (yes, sixteen), Dennis and his siblings were supported by their parents’ jobs – mom was a social worker and dad a bricklayer.

“We always looked out for each other,” he said in a 2002 interview.

“The siblings would step in and help whenever our parents were away.”

While he grew up a baseball fan, it was Johnson’s father who taught him basketball at an early age.

But Mr. Johnson was not a great shooter, according to Dennis (who later gave his dad credit for his erratic jumper).

Despite enjoying the game, Johnson struggled for playing time due to his lack of natural talent and size.

He got cut from both his seventh and eighth-grade teams, which served as a turning point for him.

“It was devastating to be cut – it hurt a great deal – but I wasn’t going to give in and quit,” he said.

“I decided to prepare myself so that I could play the game to the best of my ability. I wanted to improve…So I went out and worked hard to improve. This lesson stayed with me far beyond junior high basketball, and has really touched every aspect of my life.”

Standing just 5’9” in high school, Johnson suited up for the Dominguez Dons, and progressed slowly – he made the C team as a sophomore, JV as a junior, and was a Varsity bench player as a senior.

According to NBA.com, he “played only a minute or two each game.”

Obviously, with little playing time, a future of competitive basketball wasn’t exactly in the plans for Johnson after graduation.

“I was never a player in high school,” Johnson admitted.

“I grew three to four inches after high school.”

Taking up a job as a warehouse forklift operator after graduation, Johnson earned $2.75 per hour.

While he didn’t mind the work, Johnson couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting more out of his life.

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with these types of jobs, and my hat goes off to the people who work them,” he said.

“[But] I just wasn’t satisfied, and I knew that there had to be other opportunities out there.”

With time to work on his game at night and on the weekends, Johnson took the bus to team up with his brothers in a local rec league.

During that time, he hit a growth spurt and grew to 6’3”.

Combining his newfound size with a relentless hunger for competition, he evolved into one of the best players on the court.

That’s when he caught the attention of Los Angeles Harbor College head coach Jim White.

Impressed with Johnson’s tenacity on the defensive end, White offered him an opportunity to play in college.

Trading his warehouse job and rec league jersey for textbooks and a college uniform, Johnson became the focal point of the Seahawks’ march to the state JUCO championship.

According to an old interview, Johnson showed “both great promise and a flashpoint temper” which led to him getting kicked off the team a total of three times in two seasons.

Despite averaging 20.2 points and 13 rebounds en route to earning the MVP award, he received minimal scholarship offers.

With Pepperdine University being the only NCAA Division I school to show interest, he relocated an hour from Compton to suit up for the Waves.

In his first and only season playing for coach Gary Colson, Johnson averaged 15.7 points, helping the Waves to a top 20 ranking and advance to March Madness.

Though he was only a junior, Johnson applied for the NBA Draft in 1976.

Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 29th pick, DJ was reportedly “shocked” that a team was willing to take a chance on him.

He quickly signed on the dotted line and earned approximately $40,000 for his first season – a heftier paycheck than the forklift days.

In five years, Johnson went from high school bench player to running in rec leagues to ultimately earning an opportunity to play in the best basketball league on earth.

In his first season playing for Bill Russell, Johnson played the role of a combo guard, sitting behind Earl “Slick” Watts and “Downtown” Freddie Brown, averaging 9 points and just under 4 rebounds in 20 minutes.

Unfazed by the backup role, his playing time and numbers increased during his second season – one that saw the SuperSonics advance to the NBA Finals against the Washington Bullets.

The following year, Johnson earned a promotion to the starting five.

Unfortunately, his worst two games of the season came during the Sonics’s biggest, going 4-16 and 0-14 in the team’s attempt to capture their first NBA title.

Like any true professional, DJ put the series behind him as he helped lead the Sonics back to the 1979 NBA Finals and a rematch with the Bullets.

“That 0 for 14 was good for me in a way,” he said.

“It was part of a growing process. I learned a lot. I don’t know if it’ll ever happen again, but I plan not to have it happen.”

Behind Johnson’s Finals MVP-worthy 22.6 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, the Sonics knocked off the Bullets for their first NBA championship. 

Johnson spent one final year in the Great Northwest before his attitude and clashing with Coach Wilkens saw him traded to the Phoenix Suns.

A two-time All-Star while with Phoenix, Johnson helped the team advance to the playoffs all three seasons, before his conduct with teammates and coaches got him traded again, this time to the Boston Celtics.

At this point in his career, DJ had quite a resume:

• 1x NBA Champion

• NBA Finals MVP

• 2x All-NBA

• 5x All-Defensive Team

• 4x All-Star

Within his first three years with the Celtics, Johnson proved to be the missing piece that helped Larry Bird and company win two NBA titles.

Considering the legends that Bird played with during his career, calling Johnson “the best I’ve ever played with” is the ultimate compliment.

“He does everything,” Bird said.

“He’s as smart a basketball player as anyone I’ve ever played with. He knows how to motivate himself and the people around him. The things he does on the defensive end and the way he passes the ball is beyond belief. I’ve never seen anyone play a total game like Dennis.”

Throughout his 14-year NBA career, DJ was arguably the best guard on his team for ten, helping three teams reach at least fifty wins, eight conference finals, six NBA finals, and three NBA titles (combined).

Dennis Johnson tragically passed away in 2007 and was enshrined in the National Basketball Hall of Fame three years later.

But his legacy lives on.

What DJ lacked in natural talent, he made up for in his work ethic and competitive attitude.

He was a fighter who battled his way from mediocrity to the top of his sport – against all odds.

“I’m a winner. I put my heart into the game,” he once said.

“I hate to lose. I accept it when it comes, but I still hate it. That’s the way I am.”

👉 This week’s story was originally written by Steve Lee. If you enjoyed it, why not share it with a friend?

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TOP STORIES 🗞️

👀 “Let’s make history.” This Varsity basketball team is comprised of four freshmen, two 7th-graders, and seven 8th-graders – oh yeah, and they’re 11-2. [Prince James Story @ Louisville Courier Journal]

💪 From stunning individual performances to teams who beat impossible odds, we ranked the best comebacks in the history of sports. [Joker Mag]

🏀 “Anything is possible and I’m living proof of that.” Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton talks about getting cut and guidance counselors telling him to “pick something realistic.” [Marc J. Spears @ Andscape]

FEEL-GOOD POST ☀️

At least none of them ran to 3rd base like I did someone I knew at that age!

Thanks for reading! 🤝 

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Til next time,
Tyler

Extra Innings…

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