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| BIOGRAPHIE
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Career
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A college standout at Nevada-Las Vegas, Larry Johnson burst onto the NBA scene as the 1992 Rookie of the Year. He entered the league as a power player but has developed into an all-around performer who has learned to complement his inside game with a nice shooting touch and surprising passing skills. After five years with the Charlotte Hornets, Johnson was dealt to the New York Knicks in the summer of 1996. After a season of adjustment, Johnson seemed to regain some of his earlier form in 1997-98 when he helped pick up some of the scoring and rebounding slack caused by Patrick Ewing's wrist injury. Johnson had a sterling college career. After averaging 26.0 points in two seasons at Odessa Junior College in Texas, he transferred to UNLV. Johnson formed part of a powerhouse UNLV squad, teaming with Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony to capture the 1990 NCAA Championship. In two seasons with the Runnin' Rebels, Johnson averaged better than 20 points and 10 rebounds each year. As a senior in 1990-91 he was The Sporting News College Player of the Year and the winner of both the Naismith and Wooden Awards. The Charlotte Hornets selected him with the first overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft. Johnson made the transition to the pros without a hitch. The NBA Rookie of the Year in 1992, he finished 11th in the league in rebounding (11.0 rpg) and averaged 19.2 points. Joined by Alonzo Mourning in his second season, Johnson led the Hornets to their first playoff berth ever and set a Charlotte franchise record by pouring in 1,810 points. He finished 12th in the league in scoring (22.1 ppg) and 13th in rebounding (10.5 rpg). A starter at the 1993 All-Star Game, he ended the season as a member of the All-NBA Second Team. Johnson also led the league in minutes played and appeared in all 82 games for the second straight season. Prior to the 1993-94 season, Johnson's future was so bright that the Hornets signed him to the richest contract in NBA history. The season turned into a nightmare, however, as he missed 31 games with a back injury that threatened to derail his career. Some wondered if Johnson would ever return to his previous form. He allayed their fears by charging back in 1994-95. After a stint on the Dream Team at the World Championship of Basketball, he played in 81 games and averaged 18.8 points and 7.2 rebounds in nearly 40 minutes per game. He added a reliable three-point shot to his repertoire and returned to the All-Star Game. He climbed back into the ranks of 20-point scorers in 1995-96, averaging 20.5 ppg to place 17th in the NBA, and he erased fears about his back by playing in 81 games for the second consecutive season. In the summer of 1996, the Knicks, looking for a scorer to complement Patrick Ewing, obtained Johnson from Charlotte in a trade for Anthony Mason and Brad Lohaus. It turned out to be a rough transition for Johnson, who averaged a career-low 12.8 ppg as he got used to playing on a team whose offense revolved around Ewing, but he played better late in the season and had a solid playoff series against his former Charlotte teammates. With Ewing limited to 26 games due to a wrist injury, Johnson came on to average 15.5 ppg and 5.7 rpg in 1997-98, much closer to his Charlotte numbers.
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