Posted on 02/22/2007 4:15:40 PM PST by Thebaddog
Dennis Johnson, the star NBA guard who was part of three championships and teamed with Larry Bird on one of the great postseason plays, died Thursday after collapsing at the end of his developmental team's practice. He was 52. Johnson, coach of the Austin Toros, was unconscious and in cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived at Austin Convention Center, said Warren Hassinger, spokesman for Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him for 23 minutes before he was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, Hassinger added. Mayra Freeman, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office, said there will be an autopsy. The Toros postponed home games Friday and Saturday nights, the NBA Development League said. "He was one of the most underrated players in the history of the game, in my opinion, and one of the greatest Celtic acquisitions of all time," said former Boston teammate Danny Ainge, now the Celtics' executive director of basketball operations. "D.J. was a free spirit and a fun personality who loved to laugh and play the game. Johnson was born Sept. 18, 1954, in Compton, Calif. He played at Pepperdine and was drafted by Seattle in 1976. Johnson was traded to Phoenix in 1980 and Boston in 1983. He is survived by his wife, Donna, sons Dwayne and Daniel, and a daughter, Denise.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.foxsports.com ...
Much too young.
more:\
(lots of replies, headline only):
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Oh no.
:-(
He sure made things good in his day. I kinda like that he went doing his sport.
Geez, that too bad, I really liked DJ Back in the day B-Ball was worth watching...RIP
A whole generation of NBA/NFL/MLB stars whom commanded respect will pass... Now, the thugageneration rules... but I ignore!
There is a funk over the town. He was really a GOOD GUY.
RIP DJ
So true. The Celts were the team. Did I forget Magic Johnson?
I pretty much can't stand Boston, but Dennis Johnson, Parrish, Bird, McHale, and Ainge were a fascinating bunch.
There's something about a long swoosh shot from way outside,, a long range bomber.. usually dead-eye on.. sorry to hear of his sudden passing.
DJ was a Supersonic too. The town loved him !
A key member of Seattle's only championship team, over the Bullets in '79. That was a great bunch of guys.
Without D.J., we wouldn't have our only major championship in Seattle.
RIP Dennis Johnson.
Aw man, it feels like I lost one of my best friends...
He was about the only NBA name I knew. He seemed like one of the good ones. That's too bad.
Game 5. I'll never forget it.
Memories of The Steal, from a Pistons fan. Those were the days when teams had personality.
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