Avery Johnson Biography

Johnson ended the season with a 16-2 record and was awarded Western Conference Coach of the Month for April after leading the Mavericks to their most wins in a single month in franchise history (10-1 mark). In November 2005, he was elected Western Conference Coach of the Month, becoming the first coach in league history to earn the honor in his first two complete months of coaching. Johnson won it again in January 2006, and he was eventually awarded NBA Coach of the Year for 2005-06. Johnson won 66 of his first 82 games, four more than any other coach in league history through 82 games. He was also the quickest coach to 50 wins (62 games) and coached the Western Conference in the 2006 All-Star game. Last season, Johnson led Dallas to a franchise-record 60 victories and its first trip to the NBA Finals. After retiring as a player on October 28, 2004, Johnson began the 2004-05 season as an assistant coach. In 1,054 career games, he averaged 8.4 points, 5.5 assists, 1.7 rebounds, and 25.3 minutes played across 16 NBA seasons. Johnson became the 75th player in league history to play 1,000 career games on March 28, 2003, as a member of the Mavericks. He joined Calvin Murphy as the only players under 6-feet in height to attain that mark at 5-11. Johnson, nicknamed "The Little General" for his on-court leadership and small size, led the San Antonio Spurs to an NBA championship in 1999. He is still the Spurs' all-time assist leader and ranks 28th in NBA history in that statistic. Johnson finished his undergraduate career at Southern University in New Orleans, where he played his last two seasons. Johnson led the NCAA in assists in both of his years at Southern, and he was awarded Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year and MVP of the conference tournament as a junior and senior. He still holds numerous NCAA Division I marks, including the most assists in a single game, best single-season assist average, and highest career assist average. Johnson was not picked in the 1988 NBA Draft despite his multiple amateur honors. He began his professional career with the US Basketball League's Palm Beach Stingrays before signing as a free agent with the Seattle Supersonics on August 2, 1988. During his first six seasons in the NBA, Johnson switched clubs six times. It wasn't until his fourth tenure with San Antonio in 1994-95 that he was finally able to settle down. Johnson remained with the Spurs until the completion of the 2000-01 season before joining the Denver Nuggets as a free agent on August 19, 2001. On February 21, 2002, the Mavericks acquired Johnson in a mid-season trade with the Denver Nuggets. Johnson played in 65 regular-season games for Dallas during his one-and-a-half seasons with the organization, and he also assisted the coaching staff during the 2002 and 2003 playoffs. Johnson was part of an eight-player deal between Dallas and Golden State in the summer of 2003. After spending the 2003-04 season with the Warriors, Johnson signed as a free agency with the Mavericks on September 9, 2004. In July 1991, Johnson married Cassandra in New Orleans. Christianne and Avery Jr. are their two children. He is very committed to men's ministry and financially and spiritually supports several church initiatives in New Orleans, Houston, and Dallas. His motivational speaking engagements are in high demand at churches and schools around the country. In October 2005, he co-hosted the Katrina Rescue Ride to support the Salvation Army and Red Cross relief operations for Hurricane Katrina victims. Johnson is a member of the board of directors of Project Turn Around, a faith-based organization in the Dallas region devoted to addressing the socioeconomic problems of urban kids and their families. He is also a member of the board of directors of Hunger Busters, an organization committed to bringing a freshly prepared meal to hungry and homeless persons on Dallas' streets.

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