Did Ernie Johnson Play In The Nba?
Ernie Johnson is a NBA analyst and commentator. He has never played in the NBA.
Ernie Johnson’s Early Life and Career
Ernie Johnson was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1955. He played college basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 1973 to 1977. Johnson was not drafted by an NBA team, but he did play briefly for the Detroit Pistons in the 1979-80 season. He then spent several years playing in Europe before returning to the United States to play for the Atlanta Hawks in 1986.
Ernie Johnson’s family and early life
Ernie Johnson Jr. was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Ernie and Lois Johnson. He has three brothers: Steve, Dave, and Gary. His father was a star player for the University of Detroit basketball team and went on to play professionally with the Minneapolis Lakers. His mother is white, and his father is black. Johnson grew up in the Dorothy Day Apartments, a racially and economically diverse public housing complex in Atlanta, Georgia. When he was nine years old, his family members started calling him “Ej”.
As a young child, Johnson wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a basketball player. However, his mother discouraged this dream, telling him that he “didn’t have the body” for the sport. Despite his mother’s protests, Johnson continued to play basketball recreationally; he later credited this decision as being crucial to his development as a broadcaster.
Johnson attended high school at Science Hill in Johnson City, Tennessee. During his senior year, he averaging 24 points per game and led his team to the state semifinals. He then attended the University of Georgia on a basketball scholarship. While at Georgia, he became friends with future NBA players Dominique Wilkins and Jim Peterson. He also worked as a commentator for the university’s student radio station WUOG-FM.
Ernie Johnson’s college career
Ernie Johnson Jr. was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 7, 1962. His father Ernie Johnson Sr. was a Major League Baseball player and his mother Barbara was a high school teacher. Johnson has two sisters, Leslie and Jennifer. He attended the University of Georgia, where he played for the basketball team from 1981 to 1983.
He was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1983 NBA draft, but he did not play in the NBA. He worked as a broadcaster for Turner Sports from 1989 to 1996. He has been the host of Inside the NBA on TNT since 1990.
Ernie Johnson’s professional career
Ernie Johnson Jr. is an American sportscaster for Turner Sports and CBS Sports. He is the son of Ernie Johnson Sr., a former Major League Baseball pitcher and Atlanta Braves play-by-play broadcaster. Johnson Jr. has won numerous awards throughout his career, including six Emmy Awards.
Johnson Jr. began his broadcasting career in 1977 while still a student at the University of Georgia, calling play-by-play for the university’s radio broadcasts of Georgia Bulldogs football games. He joined Ted Turner’s Turner Broadcasting Company in 1979 as an Atlanta Hawks sideline reporter, eventually becoming the lead play-by-play voice for Hawks broadcasts on TBS from 1989 to 1997. He also called Atlanta Braves games on TBS from 1992 to 1999, and was one of the original broadcasters for Atlanta Thrashers hockey games on TBS and TNT from 1999 to 2006.
Ernie Johnson’s Later Career
Ernie Johnson played in the NBA for a total of 16 seasons. After retiring, he became a sports commentator and has been working in that field ever since. He has been married to his wife Cheryl for over 20 years and they have three children together.
Ernie Johnson’s retirement
Ernie Johnson Jr. announced his retirement from the TNT broadcast booth on Thursday, ending a Hall of Fame career that spanned more than three decades.
The 64-year-old Johnson was emotional as he made the announcement on “Inside the NBA,” the show he has been a part of since 1990.
“It is time for me to step away from this game that I love so much,” Johnson said. “Basketball has been my life for 40 years, first as a player and then as a broadcaster.”
Johnson, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020, called games for TNT for 31 years, including 27 as the lead play-by-play voice for the network’s NBA coverage. He also won Emmy Awards for his work on “Inside the NBA” in 2010, 2013 and 2016.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to call games for TNT,” Johnson said. “I will always be grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such talented people.”
Johnson began his broadcasting career with Turner Sports in 1989, calling Atlanta Hawks games on TBS. He joined “Inside the NBA” in 1990 and became the lead play-by-play voice for TNT’s NBA coverage in 1993.
Johnson called some of the most iconic moments in NBA history, including Michael Jordan’s game-winning shot against the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals and Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors in 2006.
Johnson is survived by his wife Cheryl and their three children, Ernie III, Michael and Ashley.
Ernie Johnson’s post-retirement career
Ernie Johnson Jr. is a sports commentator known for his work with Turner Sports and CBS Sports. After a successful career as a basketball player, he became a sports broadcaster. He has been the voice of the NBA on TNT since the early 1990s and is one of the most respected and recognized sports commentators today.
Johnson Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1955. He played college basketball at the University of Georgia from 1973 to 1977. He was then drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 1977 NBA Draft. He played six seasons for the Hawks before retiring from playing in 1983 due to injuries.
After his playing career, Johnson Jr. became a sports broadcaster. He has worked for Turner Sports since 1990 and is currently the lead commentator for NBA on TNT. He has also worked as a studio host for TNT’s coverage of the PGA Tour and college basketball’s March Madness tournament. In addition to his work with Turner Sports, Johnson Jr. has also called games for CBS Sports since 1998.
Johnson Jr.’s broadcasting style is known for its humor and storytelling ability. He has won several awards for his work as a broadcaster, including five Emmy Awards and the National Sportscasters Association Sportscaster of the Year Award in 2009.
Ernie Johnson’s Legacy
Ernie Johnson is a retired NBA player who played for the Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, and Phoenix Suns. He was a 6’4″ shooting guard and was known for his three-point shooting. He was also a nine-time NBA All-Star. After his playing career, he became a television commentator for TNT.
Ernie Johnson’s impact on the NBA
Ernie Johnson Jr. is a studio host for TNT’s Inside the NBA. He is a nine-time Emmy Award winner.
But before he was known for his work in front of the camera, Johnson was known for his play on the court. He was drafted in the second round of the 1977 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks.
Johnson would go on to play 10 seasons in the NBA, including six with the Hawks. He averaged 5.5 points and 3.4 assists per game in his career.
But it was Johnson’s work off the court that would have the biggest impact on the NBA. In 1991, Johnson was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He would miss the 1991-92 season while undergoing treatment.
During his battle with cancer, Johnson became close friends with fellow NBA player John Starks. The two formed a bond that would last a lifetime. After Johnson beat cancer, he and Starks started the John Starks Foundation, which helps raise money for cancer research.
Although he never won an NBA Championship as a player, Johnson’s impact on the league has been immeasurable. He is a two-time Emmy Award winner and continues to make a difference off the court through his work with the John Starks Foundation.
Ernie Johnson’s impact on basketball
Ernie Johnson Jr. is a well-known sportscaster, currently working for Turner Sports. He is the son of Ernie Johnson Sr., who was a professional basketball player in the 1950s. Johnson Jr. has been awarded several prestigious broadcasting awards, including five Emmy Awards.
Johnson Jr.’s broadcasting career began in 1989, when he started working as a sports anchor for WMAQ-TV in Chicago. He then worked for TBS from 1990 to 1996, before moving to Turner Sports in 1996. He has been with Turner Sports ever since.
Johnson Jr. has been the play-by-play announcer for NBA games on TBS and TNT since 2001. He has also served as the studio host for TNT’s “Inside the NBA” since 2002. In addition to his work on “Inside the NBA,” Johnson Jr. also hosts “NBA TV’s Inside Stuff” and “The Olympic Zone.”
Interestingly, Johnson Jr. did not play basketball at the collegiate or professional level. His father, Ernie Johnson Sr., played for the Minneapolis Lakers from 1954 to 1957.
