Clemon Johnson

Clemon Johnson
Personal information
Born (1956-09-12) September 12, 1956 (age 68)
Monticello, Florida, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High schoolFlorida A&M University School
(Tallahassee, Florida)
CollegeFlorida A&M (1974–1978)
NBA draft1978: 2nd round, 44th overall pick
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
Playing career1978–1993
PositionCenter / power forward
Number44, 45
Career history
As player:
1978–1979Portland Trail Blazers
19791983Indiana Pacers
19831986Philadelphia 76ers
19861988Seattle SuperSonics
1988–1991Knorr Bologna
1991–1993Lotus / Bialetti Montecatini
As coach:
2007–2011Alaska–Fairbanks
2011–2014Florida A&M
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points4,102 (5.4 ppg)
Rebounds3,508 (4.6 rpg)
Assists744 (1.0 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference

Clemon James Johnson Jr. (born September 12, 1956) is an American retired professional basketball player and the former head basketball coach at Florida A&M. Johnson was a 6'10", 240 lb (110 kg) center who played 761 games for four teams during his 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association.[1] From 1974 to 1978 he played college basketball at Florida A&M University where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in sports management.[2]

Johnson was selected with the 22nd pick of the second round of the 1978 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.[2] He was acquired along with a 1984 third-round selection (48th overall–Georgia forward James Banks) by the Philadelphia 76ers from the Indiana Pacers for Russ Schoene, a 1983 first-rounder (23rd overall–Mitchell Wiggins) and a 1984 second-rounder (29th overall–Stuart Gray) on February 15, 1983.[3] He famously said that his trade to the 76ers was "like going from the outhouse to the White House."[4] He was a reserve with the team when it won the NBA Championship later that season.[1] After his NBA playing days ended in 1988, Johnson extended his career overseas in Italy.[2]

After his professional basketball career, Johnson became an economics teacher and high school basketball coach in Tallahassee, Florida.[1] His son Chad played college basketball at the University of Pittsburgh until 2002.[1][2]

In May 2007, Clemon Johnson was named interim head coach of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks men's basketball team.[2] He served as interim head coach in 2007–08 and was named head coach following that season. He has coached the team for four total seasons (2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10 and 2010–11). On May 6, 2011, Johnson was named head coach at his alma mater, Florida A&M.[5] After three seasons and a 32–64 record, Johnson was fired from Florida A&M by athletic director Kellen Winslow.[6]

  1. ^ a b c d Cook: Senior class Pitt's Johnson refuses to pout, becomes leader, post-gazette.com published February 14, 2002
  2. ^ a b c d e "Clemon Johnson Hired for Alaska Coaching Spot". Archived from the original on October 22, 2007. Retrieved October 22, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link), release courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Office of Media Relations. May 24, 2007
  3. ^ Glenesk, Matthew. "Pacers at NBA trade deadline: Hits, misses over the years," The Indianapolis Star, Tuesday, February 17, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  4. ^ Juliano, Joe. "Clemon Johnson called his change of NBA teams...," United Press International (UPI), Thursday, February 17, 1983. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  5. ^ Florida A&M hires former player as new head coach Archived May 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Florida A&M fires head coach Clemon Johnson after three seasons". April 19, 2014.