Ernie Johnson Jr. is a retired American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was born on November 24, 1961, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Johnson Jr. played college basketball at the University of Atlanta before being drafted by the Houston Rockets in the 1983 NBA draft. He played for the Rockets for 12 seasons, winning two NBA championships with the team in 1994 and 1995. After playing, Johnson Jr. worked as a television analyst for Turner Broadcasting System. In 2006, he was inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame.
Early life and career
Ernie Johnson Jr. was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Ernie Johnson Sr., a former professional basketball player and TV analyst, and Helen Louise (née Simmons), a medical technician. Johnson Jr.’s family was large and close-knit, with his younger sister, Cheryl, later saying that “we were all each other’s best friends growing up.” His father taught him the importance of racial harmony and had him attend games with diverse friends to learn more about other cultures besides his own.
His time with the Atlanta Hawks
Ernie Johnson Jr. is an American sportscaster for Turner Sports and CBS Sports. He is the only child of Ernie Johnson Sr., a former Major League Baseball pitcher, and Atlanta Braves broadcaster. Growing up in Atlanta, Johnson Jr. idolized his father’s work as a player and broadcaster. When he was just a toddler, he often crawled into the family’s television set and played with the dials while his father was broadcasting games. As a child, he often accompanied his father to work, where he would play games with other employees’ children in the locker room or sit in the booth with him during broadcasts.
Johnson Jr.’s first job in broadcasting came when he was just 12 years old, serving as a runner for Atlanta Braves broadcasts on TBS. After graduating from high school, he continued to work for the network, serving as an assistant director on Atlanta Braves baseball broadcasts. Then, in 1994, he was promoted to lead play-by-play announcer for Turner’s NBA coverage, where he called games alongside analyst Reggie Theus. The following year, Johnson was also allowed to call Major League Baseball games for TBS, becoming the first African American to do so full-time on national television.
In 1997, Johnson became the studio host for Turner’s NBA coverage, a role he continues to serve today. He has also been a reporter and occasional color commentator on various Turner properties throughout his career. In addition to his work with Turner Sports, Johnson has also worked for CBS Sports since 2003, calling NFL and college basketball games for the network.
His time with the Houston Rockets
Ernie Johnson Jr. played with the Houston Rockets from 1981 to 1989. He was a part of the Rockets team that went to the NBA Finals in 1986. He averaged 10.5 points per game during his time with the Rockets.
His time with the Detroit Pistons
Johnson became a regular starter for the Pistons during his second season with the team and would go on to play eleven seasons in Detroit. He helped lead the Pistons to consecutive NBA Finals appearances in 1988 and 1989, winning a championship with the team in 1989. He retired in 1992 and was subsequently inducted into the Pistons’ Hall of Fame.
His time with the Chicago Bulls
Ernie Johnson Jr. played a total of 12 seasons in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks drafted him in the 1993 NBA draft. He played with the Hawks for six seasons before being traded to the Chicago Bulls in 1999. He played with the Bulls for three seasons before being traded back to the Hawks in 2002. He finished his career with the Hawks, playing with them for three more seasons.
His time with the Cleveland Cavaliers
Ernie Johnson Jr. played for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1986 to 1989. He was a part of the team that won the Eastern Conference Championship in 1988. He averaged 9.5 points per game and 3.4 assists per game during his time with the Cavaliers.
His time with the Los Angeles Lakers
In 1977, the Lakers made Johnson their first-round draft choice. The 6-foot-8-inch (2.03 m) small forward made an immediate impact, averaging 16 points per game and helping new users expand this heading, bringing the Lakers back to respectability with a 47–35 record. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team after his first season. After Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson joined the team, the Lakers became one of the most dominant teams in NBA history, winning five championships in Johnson’s eight seasons with the team. In his second season, Johnson increased his scoring average to 17 points per game as the Lakers made it back into the playoffs with a 54–28 record. He scored a career-high 35 points against Indiana on December 23
His time with the Miami Heat
Ernie Johnson Jr. is an American television broadcaster for Turner Sports. He is also a former professional basketball player and spent time with the Miami Heat early in his career.
Johnson was born in 1965 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and attended the University of Georgia. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the fifth round of the 1987 NBA draft but was soon traded to the Atlanta Hawks. He spent three seasons with the Hawks before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1990. He played one season with the Cavaliers before being dealt to the Miami Heat in 1991.
Johnson played two seasons with the Heat, averaging 9.4 points and 4.8 assists per game in 1992-93 and 9.6 points and 5.5 assists per game in 1993-94. He was part of Miami’s “Run TMC” featuring Tim Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning, and Glen Rice. The trio led the Heat to a 42-40 record in Johnson’s first season with the team and a 41-41 mark in his second year. Miami did not make the playoffs during Johnson’s tenure with the team.
After his time with the Heat, Johnson bounced to several teams, including the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, and New Orleans Hornets, before retiring from basketball in 2001.
