Gus Johnson (basketball)

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Gus Johnson (basketball) bigraphy, stories - American basketball player

Gus Johnson (basketball) : biography

December 13, 1938 – April 29, 1987

Gus Johnson (December 13, 1938 – April 29, 1987) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A 6’6", 235-lb. forward-center , he spent nine seasons with the Baltimore Bullets, and his final season was split between the Phoenix Suns and the Indiana Pacers of the ABA.

One of the first forwards to frequently play above the rim, Johnson combined an unusual blend of strength, jumping ability, and speed; he was one of the first dunk shot artists in the NBA. His nickname "Honeycomb" was given to him by his college coach. He had a gold star drilled into one of his front teeth and shattered three backboards during his career.

As a member of the Baltimore Bullets, Johnson was voted to the All-Rookie Team for 1963-64. He played in five NBA All-Star Games, was named to four All-NBA Second Teams, and was twice named to the All-NBA Defense First Team. His No. 25 jersey was retired by the Bullets franchise. With the Pacers, he was a member of the 1973 ABA championship team.

Johnson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

"The Nail"

While Johnson was at Idaho in 1962-63, he earned a reputation as a leaper of the highest order. On one evening at the "Corner Club", a tavern on north Main Street in Moscow, Johnson was challenged by its owner, Herm Goetz (1925–93), – Corner Clubbers will not ever forget Herm Goetz – 1993-09-17 – p.1A to demonstrate his outstanding jumping ability to the assembled patrons. The "Corner Club" was a modest establishment with minimal furnishings, converted to a bar in 1948 from a small white stucco chapel with hardwood floors and substantial beams on its ceiling. – To the Club for a tub! – 1979-09-02 – p.1B – A Case of Vandalism in Big Sky Country – 1982-01-25 – p.20-21 From a standing start near the front bar, Johnson leapt to touch a spot on a beam above the floor level. The spot on the beam was marked with a ceremonial nail by Goetz, who next proclaimed that anyone who could duplicate that leap could drink for free, something that he knew was highly improbable. A diameter circle was painted on the floor below that beam, and any potential duplicator of the leap had to have both feet on the floor, within this circle, to ensure a standing start. Twenty-three years elapsed, with a considerable number attempts to touch Gus Johnson’s Nail, including some by the UCLA All-American Bill Walton during the summer of 1984. But not even Walton, then a pro at age 31, could touch that high up ("…too much pizza and beer tonight..").The Seattle Times – S. Idaho’s Little JJ almost brings down the house – 1986-05-04 – p.C-10

That was until late January 1986, when the team bus of College of Southern Idaho, a junior college in Twin Falls, stopped in Moscow, en route to a game against North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene. Joey Johnson, the younger brother of the NBA star Dennis Johnson, was brought into the closed bar by his coaches for a try, before opening time. The guard had already recorded a remarkable vertical leap during basketball practice.

Joey Johnson laced up his game shoes and touched "The Nail" on his first try, but this attempt was disqualified because he did not start with both feet inside the given circle. His next attempt came from a legal static start, but was slightly short. On his third try, Johnson leaped, grabbed, and bent the legendary nail, a landmark event in local sports history. Mr. Goetz next pulled "The Nail" out of its beam, and he pounded it back in, a half inch (1 cm) higher. – Scorecard – The joint was jumpin’ – 1986-03-31 – p.11 – Southern Idaho star eclipses Corner Club’s ‘nail’ record- 1986-05-07 – p.D1

A 1985 graduate of Banning High School in Los Angeles, Joey Johnson led CSI to the national junior college title in 1987 and also won the national JC title in the high jump twice. He transferred to Arizona State, where his vertical leap grew to and he was known as "Jumpin’ Joey." He played for the Sun Devils during the 1987-88 season, and won an elevated slam dunk contest at in 1990, earning $50,000. – A jump on the competition : Ex-Banning High player wins slam-dunk title, $50,000 – 1990-07-26 His son Nick currently plays for the University of Arizona. – Arizona Wildcats freshman Nick Johnson already maturing – 2011-12-11 – basketball – Nick Johnson – accessed 2012-03-08