Gordon Cavell Johnson (born March 28, 1985) is an American professional basketball player who last played for

KW Titans KW Titans (formally known as Kitchener-Waterloo Titans Basketball Club) are a professional basketball team based in Regional Municipality of Waterloo and competing the National Basketball League of Canada. The team plays its home games at Kitche ...

of the

NBL Canada The National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada; french: Ligue nationale de basketball du Canada) is a Canadian professional men's minor league basketball organization. The NBL Canada was founded in 2011, when three existing Premier Basketba ...

. At a height of 2.05 m (6'8¾"), he plays at the power forward and center positions on the court. Johnson was named an

All-Star in

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, and won its Slam Dunk Contest the same season. He was often considered one of the top defenders in the league, having been named to two All-Defence Teams, and winning the

NBL Canada Defensive Player of the Year Award The National Basketball League of Canada's Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) award given since the 2011–12 season. The London Lightning's Al Stewart Alastair Ian Stewart (born 5 Septe ...

. Johnson played college basketball at James Madison University, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. On February 25, 2018, the

parted ways with coach

Serge Langis Serge Langis is a Canadian teacher and professional basketball coach, last serving as the head coach of the KW Titans in the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada). He previously served as assistant coach (2012–14) and head coach ( ...

and named Johnson new head coach, a position he held until 2021.

Early life

Johnson was born on March 28, 1985, and raised in Fort Washington, Maryland, and Temple Hills, Maryland. In seventh grade, he dunked his first basketball. In an interview in 2008, he said that it was his most memorable moment as an athlete.

Collegiate career

Johnson initially competed at the NCAA Division I level with the

James Madison Dukes The James Madison Dukes are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent James Madison University (JMU), in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The name "Dukes" is derived from Samuel Page Duke, the university's second president. The Dukes play as me ...

, but chose to transfer to UMBC after three seasons. He claimed that he was unhappy with his previous school and felt that he would see more immediate success with the Retrievers. One of Johnson's teammates also transferred to the same team with him, making the process smoother in his opinion.

Professional career

In 2011–2012, Johnson played with the Beltway Bombers in the

American Professional Basketball League The American Professional Basketball League (APBL) was a semi-professional men's basketball league that began play in 2010. Originally known as the Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League (ACPBL), the league changed its name before the 201 ...

(ACPBL). The Bombers won the ACPBL championship and Johnson won the APBL Finals Most Valuable Player award. In 2012–2013, Johnson joined the National Basketball League of Canada's (NBLC) Saint John Mill Rats. With the Mill Rats, he averaged 10.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. Johnson then spent the next two years with the

Brampton A's The Orangeville A's were a Canadian professional basketball franchise based in Orangeville, Ontario. Founded in 2012 in Brampton, the A's were a member of the National Basketball League of Canada, where they began play for the season. History ...

in the NBLC. In 2014, Johnson was selected to the All-NBLC Second Team after averaging 14.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. He also won the Defensive Player of the Year Award and was selected to participate in the NBLC All-Star Game. In 2015, Johnson averaged 12.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and was tops in the league with 1.6 blocks per game. He was an All-NBL Canada Third Team member that season and helped the A's reach the NBLC Semi Finals. On August 3, 2015, Johnson signed a one-year contract with

Salon Vilpas Vikings Vilpas Vikings, also referred to as Salon Vilpas, is a professional basketball club based in Salo, Finland. The team currently plays in the top level Korisliiga. The Vikings are a part of the Salon Vilpas multi-sport club. In 2021, Vilpas won its ...

of the Finish League. On August 1, 2016, Johnson signed with Promitheas Patras of the Greek Basket League. He was officially released from the team on November 28, 2016, in order to attend to personal matters in the States. He then signed with

in the NBLC.

Early life

Collegiate career

Professional career

References

External links