DerMarr Miles Johnson (born May 5, 1980) is an American basketball assistant coach at
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
and retired professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player who played seven seasons in the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United ...
.
College career
Johnson was a consensus
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food
Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold ...
,
Parade Magazine
''Parade'' was an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 700 newspapers in the United States until 2022. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., ''Parade'' had a circulation of 32 million and a readership of 5 ...
and
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...
high school
All-American as well as Parade's National High School Player of the Year as a senior in 1999. Johnson chose to the
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,00 ...
and would play for coach
Bob Huggins
Robert Edward Huggins (born September 21, 1953) is an American college basketball coach. Nicknamed “Huggy Bear,” he is currently the head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team. Huggins previously held the head coach ...
alongside
Steven Logan and future NBA players
Kenyon Martin
Kenyon Lee Martin Sr. (born December 30, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a power forward, he played for the New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, Los ...
and
Kenny Satterfield
Kenneth Alexander Satterfield (born April 10, 1981) is an American professional basketball player, formerly in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for the Cincinnati Bearcats beginning in 1999. In 2001, after a successful sophomore ...
. The
1999–2000 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team
The 1999–00 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team represented University of Cincinnati as a member of Conference USA during the 1999–2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Bob Huggins, serving in his 11th year ...
were one of the nation's most talented teams, spending the majority of the season ranked No. 1 before Kenyon Martin injured his knee in the conference tournament and cut short what could have been a deep March Madness run by the Bearcats. Johnson was a one and done and would declare for the
NBA draft after his lone season at Cincinnati.
Professional career
Johnson was selected sixth overall by the
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
in the
2000 NBA Draft. In two seasons with the Hawks, he averaged 6.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. On September 13, 2002, Johnson's blue
Mercedes-Benz S600
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class, formerly known as ''Sonderklasse'' (German for "special class", abbreviated as "S-Klasse"), is a series of full-sized luxury vehicle, luxury sedans, limousines and Armored car (VIP), armored sedans produced by the Germa ...
crashed into a tree and caught fire;
[Johnson expected to recover, season jeopardized - NBA - ESPN]
/ref>[Hawks cautiously encouraged by Johnson's progress - NBA - ESPN]
/ref> one of three occupants, none of whom were determined to be driving,[ he cracked four vertebrae in his neck,][ nearly causing ]paralysis
Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 5 ...
. Fitted to a halo brace during his recovery, Johnson was subsequently sidelined for the entire 2002-03 NBA season
The hyphen-minus is the most commonly used type of hyphen, widely used in digital documents. It is the only character that looks like a minus sign or a dash in many character sets such as ASCII or on most keyboards, so it is also used as such ...
, and questions surfaced regarding him ever playing again. Johnson's miraculous return to the league began in October 2003 when he signed with the Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Pacific Division (NBA), P ...
only to be waived two weeks later without ever having played a game for them. He then moved on to the American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, leading to four A ...
's Long Beach Jam
Long may refer to:
Measurement
* Long, characteristic of something of great duration
* Long, characteristic of something of great length
* Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate
* Longa (music), note value in early music mensur ...
where he played 19 games, before rejoining the NBA, signing a contract with the New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associa ...
. The following season, in 2004-05, Johnson rejuvenated his career with the Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
, participating in 71 games, and averaging 7.1 points on 49.9 percent field goal shooting. During the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, Johnson averaged 5 points on 40 percent shooting in 97 games.
Johnson reportedly signed with Italian team Pallacanestro Treviso
Pallacanestro Treviso, named Benetton Basket due to a long running sponsorship by the Benetton Group and widely referred to as Benetton Treviso, is an Italian youth basketball club based in Treviso, Veneto.
The club was previously a successful ...
in August 2007, but quickly jumped back to the NBA Development League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
's San Antonio affiliate Austin Toros
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
. Johnson averaged 15.8 points and 6 rebounds in 10 games with the Toros. On December 29 he signed with the San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
after they waived rarely used rookie combo guard Marcus Williams.[Spurs add journeyman guard Johnson, waive rookie Williams]
/ref> But on January 7, 2008, Johnson was released from San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
. He was again re-signed by the Spurs, in April. In total, Johnson only played 5 games with the Spurs. His final NBA game was played on April 13th, 2008 in a 85 - 106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. In his final game, he recorded 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal.
In October 2010 Johnson signed with Hekmeh Hikma ( ar, حكمة), or other romanisations such as Hikmah and Hekme, may refer to:
Education
* Al-Hikmah University, a private university in Ilorin, Nigeria
* Al-Hikma University (Baghdad), a former university in Baghdad, Iraq
* Dar Al-Hekma U ...
in Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
. Johnson then signed with the Colombian League team Bukaros in September 2011. In 2012, he played for Barako Bull Energy
The Barako Bull Energy were a Philippine Basketball Association team that began in 2002 as the FedEx Express.
From its first season until 2005, the team was dubbed as the FedEx Express before changing to Air21 Express. From the 2009 PBA Fiest ...
in the Philippines. He then played in Argentina and Venezuela.
Johnson competes for Team City of Gods in The Basketball Tournament
The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an open-application, single-elimination tournament played each summer in the United States. The 2022 edition features 64 teams with a $1 million winner-take-all prize, broadcast by ESPN. TBT was founded in 201 ...
. He was a forward on the 2015 team who made it to the semifinals, losing to Overseas Elite
Overseas Elite was an American basketball team that participated in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), an annual winner-take-all single-elimination tournament. The team won the tournament four consecutive times: 2015 (prize money $1 million), 2016 ...
84-71.
Coaching career
On January 25, 2017, the University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,00 ...
hired Johnson as a student assistant coach for the men's basketball team while Johnson completed his unfinished degree, which he did in 2019.
In May 2021, Johnson returned to his alma mater to serve as the director of player development for the men's basketball program under coach Wes Miller
Wes or WES may refer to:
* Westmorland
Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake Di ...
.
Midway through the 2022–23 season on January 16, 2023, Johnson was announced as an assistant coach under his former college coach Bob Huggins
Robert Edward Huggins (born September 21, 1953) is an American college basketball coach. Nicknamed “Huggy Bear,” he is currently the head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team. Huggins previously held the head coach ...
at West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
.[ ]
NBA career statistics
Regular season
, -
, align="left" , 2000–01
, align="left" , Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
, 78 , , 21 , , 16.8 , , .374 , , .323 , , .736 , , 2.3 , , .8 , , .6 , , .4 , , 5.1
, -
, align="left" , 2001–02
, align="left" , Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
, 72 , , 46 , , 24.0 , , .396 , , .360 , , .810 , , 3.4 , , 1.1 , , .9 , , .8 , , 8.4
, -
, align="left" , 2003–04
, align="left" , New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, 21 , , 1 , , 13.7 , , .371 , , .361 , , .903 , , 1.9 , , .5 , , .4 , , .3 , , 5.4
, -
, align="left" , 2004–05
, align="left" , Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...
, 71 , , 40 , , 17.4 , , .499 , , .358 , , .792 , , 2.1 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , .3 , , 7.1
, -
, align="left" , 2005–06
, align="left" , Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...
, 58 , , 21 , , 15.9 , , .431 , , .350 , , .810 , , 1.7 , , .9 , , .4 , , .4 , , 6.1
, -
, align="left" , 2006–07
, align="left" , Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...
, 39 , , 7 , , 10.7 , , .325 , , .216 , , .762 , , 1.5 , , .4 , , .4 , , .3 , , 3.5
, -
, align="left" , 2007–08
, align="left" , San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
, 5 , , 0 , , 5.6 , , .500 , , .333 , , .000 , , .2 , , .2 , , .2 , , .0 , , 3.4
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 344 , , 136 , , 17.2 , , .411 , , .336 , , .789 , , 2.2 , , .9 , , .6 , , .4 , , 6.2
Playoffs
, -
, align="left" , 2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
, align="left" , New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, 3 , , 0 , , 5.7 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , .7 , , .7 , , .0 , , .3 , , .0
, -
, align="left" , 2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris (dwarf planet), Er ...
, align="left" , Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...
, 4 , , 2 , , 19.5 , , .550 , , .364 , , 1.000 , , 2.0 , , .8 , , .5 , , .5 , , 7.3
, -
, align="left" , 2006
, align="left" , Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...
, 3 , , 0 , , 11.3 , , .231 , , .100 , , .000 , , 3.3 , , .7 , , .0 , , .3 , , 2.3
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 10 , , 2 , , 12.9 , , .368 , , .208 , , 1.000 , , 2.0 , , .7 , , .2 , , .4 , , 3.6
References
External links
DerMarr Johnson NBA.com Profile
DerMarr Johnson on MySpace
Boss Slim on MySpace
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Dermarr
1980 births
Living people
American expatriate basketball people in Argentina
American expatriate basketball people in China
American expatriate basketball people in Italy
American expatriate basketball people in Lebanon
American expatriate basketball people in Mexico
American expatriate basketball people in the Philippines
American expatriate basketball people in Venezuela
American men's basketball players
Atlanta Hawks draft picks
Atlanta Hawks players
Barako Bull Energy players
Basketball players from Washington, D.C.
Big3 players
Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball players
Denver Nuggets players
Fuerza Regia de Monterrey players
Guaros de Lara (basketball) players
Jiangsu Dragons players
Leones de Ponce basketball players
Libertad de Sunchales basketball players
Long Beach Jam players
Maine Central Institute alumni
McDonald's High School All-Americans
New York Knicks players
Pallacanestro Treviso players
Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
Philippine Basketball Association imports
San Antonio Spurs players
Shooting guards
Small forwards
Sagesse SC basketball players
American men's 3x3 basketball players