A former NBA player, Kevin Johnson has now become a mayor of Sacramento. What lessons can the success in his career offer basketball players?
“I think the lesson is for athletes to keep playing until you know your time is up.”
With an even more passionate following than ever before and a slew of new platforms to explore, it’s never been easier for gamers looking for competitive action. In this article we’ll take a look at how different games have adapted their esports offerings over the years as well as some highlights from 2018 so far!
Kevin Johnson is a former NBA player who has become the mayor of Sacramento, California. His story is an interesting one that goes from him being drafted by the Phoenix Suns to becoming mayor. Read more in detail here: what is kevin johnson doing now.
While at the University of California, Berkeley, Kevin Johnson had a lot of possibilities.
Johnson averaged 14.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game over his four years of basketball. In both his junior and senior seasons, he was chosen to the Pac-10’s All-Conference First Team.
Johnson didn’t only play basketball in college; he also dabbled in baseball and had some success.
Johnson was picked as a shortstop in the 23rd round of the 1986 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics, based on his baseball accomplishments in college.
During the summer of 1986, Johnson will play for Oakland’s minor-league squad in Modesto, California. Johnson wouldn’t commit to it for very long, claiming that pursuing a professional baseball career is much riskier than pursuing a basketball one.
Career in the NBA
After four years of college, Johnson chose to join the 1987 NBA Draft. Johnson was taken seventh overall in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Johnson’s time in Cleveland was short-lived. It barely lasted 52 games, and he didn’t get much playing time as Mark Price’s backup guard for the Cavaliers.
Johnson was dealt to the Phoenix Suns on February 28, 1988, along with two other players. Johnson was in desperate need of a change.
Johnson was immediately given additional playing time, and he started 25 of the Suns’ 28 games that season. As a member of the Cavaliers, he only started three of the 52 games he appeared in.
Johnson thrived in his new position, earning Rookie of the Month honors in April 1988. Johnson discovered a groove in Phoenix that he would continue over into the following season.
Johnson averaged 20.4 points, 12.2 assists, 50.5 percent field goal percentage, and 88.2 percent free-throw percentage in his first full season with the Phoenix Suns.
These stats were similar to Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas, two other stars in the league at the time. For a second-year student, this was amazing.
Johnson went on to earn the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 1988-89. In the next two seasons, he’d average at least 20 points and 10 assists, making it three years in a row with those numbers.
Johnson is one of just two players in league history to achieve this accomplishment, joining Isiah Thomas and Oscar Robertson.
Johnson’s finest NBA performance came in the 1992–93 season, when he led the Suns to a 62–20 record, the best in the NBA at the time, with MVP Charles Barkley.
In the Finals, the Suns would face Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
Johnson’s Suns, like every previous opponent that faced Jordan in the Finals, would lose the series 4-2, and the title.
Johnson announced his retirement following the 1997-98 NBA season, citing injuries as a factor in his decision.
His former Phoenix Suns coach phoned him after a year off and asked if he’d want to make a return and replace the Suns’ star guard, Jason Kidd, who had gone down with an injury.
Johnson agreed to return and participated in the last six games of the 1999-00 NBA season. Johnson would play nine postseason games before the Suns were eliminated from the playoffs, and he would retire for good… from basketball, that is.
Kevin Johnson is the mayor of New York City.
Johnson opted to return to college when his basketball career ended, this time to get his B.A. in Political Science. He earned his degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Johnson surprised the political world when he launched his candidacy for mayor of Sacramento, his hometown, on March 5, 2008.
Johnson ran for mayor against incumbent Heather Fargo, and he won in a runoff.
Johnson had some success in college. Johnson has had success in the NBA. His stint as mayor, though, has to be his most successful career.
Johnson established a number of excellent initiatives in Sacramento, including the Sacramento Steps Forward program, which aimed to reduce homelessness.
The STAND UP program was created to aid in the improvement of student accomplishment. To diversify economic growth, become green, and market Sacramento as the “Emerald Valley,” the Greenwise program was developed.
Sacramento LISTENS! was enacted to address what was being referred to as Sacramento’s “literacy problem.”
By concentrating on school preparedness, attendance, and avoiding summer learning loss, the program was created as a 10-year endeavor to guarantee that all children in Sacramento can read at grade level by the end of third grade.
One of his most important projects was to combat the city of Sacramento’s ever-increasing gang violence.
The Gang Prevention Task Force was formed as a three-year cooperation between the city and county to minimize gang violence via school-based and job-training initiatives.
In 2012, Johnson stood for re-election and handily won. During his stint as mayor of Sacramento, he received several awards.
Johnson was chosen as the United States Conference of Mayors’ (USCM) Second Vice President in June 2012.
He was the first Sacramento mayor elected to the office of Second Vice President and the first Sacramento mayor to serve as President.
Johnson was elected president of the National Conference of Black Mayors (NCBM) in 2013, but his work was far from over.
He was a member of the University of California Alumni Association, Phoenix Suns Charities, Christian Athlete Ministries, Phoenix Symphony, School House Foundation, Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG), and the Caring Institute’s advisory board.
Johnson’s contributions to the Sacramento community and beyond have helped him receive several notable honors.
McCall’s magazine named Johnson one of the “15 Greatest Men on Earth.” He has won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award from the NBA, the John R. Wooden Lifetime Achievement Award from the NBA in 2008, and the Sports Illustrated Good Morning America Award.
Johnson was also honored by the Caring Institute with the title of “Most Caring American.” This demonstrates that individuals do not have to be pigeonholed into one category.
Johnson has shown that he can excel in both athletics and politics. On December 13, 2016, his stint as mayor came to an end.
Johnson’s political career may be finished, but he remains active in Sacramento-area organizations, demonstrating that the work of assisting others never ends.
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Kevin Johnson is a former NBA player turned mayor of Sacramento, California. His story is one that has been told in the media since he was 18 years old when he met his wife. Reference: kevin johnson wife.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to NBA player Kevin Johnson?
A: Kevin Johnson was fired for his numerous sexual harassment accusations.
Who is Kevin R Johnson?
A: Kevin R Johnson is the co-founder of Beat Saber, and he has a PhD in mechanical engineering.
When did Kevin Johnson get drafted?
A: Kevin Johnson was drafted in 1985.
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