Back problems force ‘LJ’ to hang up his sneakers

Steve Addy

Thursday, Oct. 11, 2001 | 9:59 a.m.

This time, Grandmama has gone to the rocking chair for real.

Finally conceding his sore back could no longer absorb the pounding, 32-year-old ex-Rebel Larry Johnson retired from the New York Knicks on Wednesday, accepting a $28.8 million buyout to close his sturdy 10-year, 773-game NBA career.

Ten years after bursting into the NBA as the consensus player of the year in college basketball and owner of a 1990 NCAA championship ring, Johnson walked away considerably richer, but worse for the wear. He sat out 14 of the Knicks' last 22 games and the playoffs last season because of back pain.

"I'm not surprised he retired, because his back has bothered him for a long time," former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian said from Fresno, Calif. "Everybody who's had a bad back knows how painful it can be."

The 6-foot-6 forward was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1991 by Charlotte and won Rookie of the Year by averaging 19.2 points and 11.0 rebounds. In his career, he averaged 16.2 and 7.5, respectively, and had fun along the way -- whether starring in the playoffs or making his popular Grandmama commmercials for Nike.

But Johnson ended his career without fanfare, without a blubbery press conference or a terse statement. He simply accepted the buyout and was waived, even turning down the Knicks' offer of a Larry Johnson Night.

That exit came as no surprise to Tarkanian, who recalled that Johnson did not crave attention and accolades as much as winning.

"Larry was the most unselfish player I've been around," Tarkanian said. "Every time he had a great game, he would give the credit to Greg Anthony or Stacey Augmon.

"He could make any play he wanted, but he played within the team concept. He didn't try to show everything he could do. He was the ultimate team player. He just tried to fit in."

Johnson did that extremely quickly after being recruited to UNLV out of Odessa (Tex.) College, where he had dominated Juco ball. Joining a Rebels club that returned five starters from a 29-win team, he immediately became their best player.

In 1989-90, Johnson averaged 20.6 points and 11.4 rebounds, guided UNLV to the NCAA title and made three All-America teams. His 457 rebounds that year remain a UNLV record.

Johnson's transition to the Rebels was utterly seamless, said teammate Dave Rice, whose two-year UNLV career coincided with Johnson's.

"The thing that impressed me the most was Larry's unselfishness and willingness to share the spotlight," said Rice, UNLV's director of basketball operations.

"UNLV was a top-10 program before he got here, but he was really the piece that put us over the top and gave us a chance to win the national championship. But Larry said he was just happy to be a part of it. He said he would come off the bench if he had to, and I think he was sincere."

Johnson started all 40 games in the Rebels' championship year, then was the nation's dominant player in 1990-91, averaging 22.7 points and 10.8 boards. He won three player of the year awards and made seven All-America teams, pushing UNLV to a 34-0 record until its NCAA semifinal loss to Duke.

Johnson's 1,617 points rank 11th in UNLV career history. He had his highest-scoring game with 35 against Michigan State on Dec. 15, 1990 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Other games stand out in Rice's memory.

"It was a Big Monday game at New Mexico State, and the place was sold out and loud," he said. "Larry went off for a breakaway dunk that just reverberated. We've all seen dunks, but the sheer power he brought was unprecedented at UNLV.

"I remember the seniors' last (home) game in 1990, against Louisville. It's a close game and Larry comes over to Tark. He says, 'Coach, you've got to take me out.' Tark says, 'Are you crazy?' And Larry says, 'You've got to get Moses (Scurry) in,' because it was Moses' last home game. That's the way Larry was."

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