Avery DeWitt Johnson was born on March 25,1965 and is an American basketball television commentator and former player and coach who most recently served as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team.
26 Facts About Avery Johnson
2.
Avery Johnson is currently an NBA and college basketball analyst for CBS Sports.
3.
Avery Johnson led the Mavericks to their first NBA Finals appearance and to three consecutive 50+ win seasons.
4.
Avery Johnson matriculated to New Mexico Junior College before moving on to Cameron University, and finally Southern University, at which in his senior season in 1988 he led NCAA Division I with 13.3 assists per game, an all-time record as of 2007.
5.
Avery Johnson spent the summer of 1988 with the Palm Beach Stingrays of the United States Basketball League.
6.
In 43 games, Avery Johnson averaged 1.6 points and 1.7 assists as a reserve.
7.
Avery Johnson made 18 assists on January 5,1990, against the Miami Heat.
8.
Avery Johnson played 47 games with seven starts for the Spurs and averaged 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.
9.
On January 10,1992, Avery Johnson signed the first of several 10-day contracts with the Houston Rockets that preceded a longer-term contract.
10.
Avery Johnson signed with the Golden State Warriors on October 25,1993, and was named team captain just nine days into his signing.
11.
Avery Johnson made the go-ahead, championship-clinching shot in Game 5 on a jumper with 47 seconds remaining in the game.
12.
Avery Johnson was inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame on February 20,2009.
13.
On July 19,2001, Avery Johnson signed as a free agent with the Denver Nuggets.
14.
Avery Johnson played 51 games with the Nuggets and averaged 9.4 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists.
15.
Avery Johnson played 17 games all as a reserve with the Mavericks for the rest of the season.
16.
Avery Johnson played 46 games with one start and averaged 4.6 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.
17.
On October 28,2004, Avery Johnson retired from playing and signed as an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks under Don Nelson.
18.
Avery Johnson had played under Nelson from 1993 to 1994 and from 2002 to 2003, and it was understood from the beginning that he was being groomed to eventually succeed Nelson as head coach.
19.
Avery Johnson was named the April 2005 NBA Coach of the Month, only one month after becoming a head coach for the first time.
20.
In November 2005, Avery Johnson won his second NBA Coach of the Month award, making him the first NBA coach to win the award in his first two months as a head coach.
21.
In June 2006, after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies, the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, and the Phoenix Suns in the first three rounds of the playoffs, Avery Johnson led the Mavericks to their first ever NBA Finals appearance.
22.
On December 31,2006, Avery Johnson became the fastest head coach to win 100 games when his squad defeated the Denver Nuggets.
23.
On October 17,2008, Avery Johnson joined ESPN as a studio analyst.
24.
Avery Johnson remained in that role for two seasons, until he received an offer to become head coach of the New Jersey Nets.
25.
Avery Johnson remained with the Nets when the team moved to Brooklyn in 2012.
26.
In 2013, Avery Johnson rejoined ESPN to appear as an analyst on SportsCenter, NBA Coast to Coast, and NBA Tonight.