BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Rob Miech, Las Vegas Sun

Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007 | 7:27 a.m.

Larry Johnson again stood out on the Thomas & Mack Center floor, but a basketball and the rims were missing.

Dressed in a cap and gown, he received several loud ovations Friday during winter commencement ceremonies, including when he was introduced to the crowd as the greatest player in UNLV basketball history. Johnson led the Rebels to the national championship in 1990 and was the first player picked in the NBA draft in 1991. Back problems forced him to retire in 2001.

He returned to UNLV and took four classes this fall to finish requirements for a bachelor's degree. Johnson, 38, majored in social science studies. It fulfilled a promise he had made to his mother, Dorothy. Moreover, the degree will allow him to coach one of his seven children, who is in middle school in Dallas. "It's also about sending the right message to kids," says Lisa Johnson, whom he married this year, "staying in school and running with the right group."

Johnson heads his own beverage division, which features flavor-enhanced waters, at Los Angeles-based OG Nation. He was named to the company's board of directors last month.

Johnson averaged 16.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in 10 NBA seasons, split between the Charlotte Hornets and the New York Knicks. He won Rookie of the Year honors and was a two-time All-Star selection. He also was known as "Grandmama" for his popular Converse sneaker ads.

Today, he says, he isn't recognized. "A lot of these kids didn't follow basketball at that time," Johnson says. "There's such a generation gap. I'm not that big of a celebrity."

That was very debatable Friday.