Vincent Johnson (born September 1, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player and a key player as sixth man for the Detroit Pistons during the team's National Basketball Association (NBA) championships of 1989 and 1990. He was nicknamed "the Microwave" in the NBA for his ability to score quickly off the bench. He also played for the Seattle SuperSonics and San Antonio Spurs.

College basketball career

Johnson began his collegiate basketball career in 1975 at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. He was a star there for two years, leading the team to the NJCAA national tournament in the 1976–77 season while averaging 29 points per game and being named a junior college All-American. in exchange for forward Greg Kelser. During the 1982-83 NBA season, Johnson scored a career high 15.8 points a game while starting in 51 of the 82 games he played in. For the rest of his career, he would mostly play as an important role player coming off the bench.

At 6 feet 2 inches tall, Johnson's skill set allowed him to come off the bench to replace either point guard Isiah Thomas or shooting guard Joe Dumars. Johnson earned the nickname "the Microwave" from Boston Celtics guard Danny Ainge for his ability to heat up an offense by scoring both fast and frequently when inserted into the game.

On June 14, 1990, Johnson made a championship-clinching 14-foot shot with 0.7 seconds left to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 92–90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The shot, which gave Detroit a repeat championship, briefly earned Johnson a new nickname: 007. attending Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School. Johnson has a younger brother, Eric Johnson, who played a season in the NBA with the Utah Jazz.

Following his career with the Detroit Pistons, Johnson established Piston Automotive in 1995. The company found success as a supplier for major international automotive companies, particularly the Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Johnson serves as the Piston Group's chairman and chief executive officer. He has also served as the chairman of the board of directors for the joint ventures JL Automotive LLC and PASA Modules, LLC.

In addition to his post-playing career professional work, Johnson is a member of the Michigan Minority Business Development Council, and the Detroit Chamber of Commerce.

See also

  • Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

References

  • Vinnie Johnson Q & A
  • Motor City Bad Boys Listing for Vinnie Johnson