Of all the remarkable Celtics of the Larry Bird era, Dennis Johnson probably gets the least respect. It’s understandable to an extent. Bird is Bird, Kevin McHale is legendary for his inside moves, Robert Parish was silent but deadly and Danny Ainge went on to run not one but two outstanding franchises, first Boston and now Utah. Bill Walton was only there for a brief period but he was already a legend.
Johnson was not in that class, at least not in terms of perception.
A native of California, Johnson emerged slowly in JUCO and then at Pepperdine but was drafted 29th in 1976 by the Seattle Supersonics.
At Azusa Pacific University, his JUCO, then at Seattle, people soured on Johnson as a troublemaker. And when he was traded to Phoenix he was, perhaps unfairly, implicated in a drug scandal (he denied it).
Ultimately Phoenix traded him to Boston in 1983. The Celtics hoped he would continue as a great defender and also that he could play point guard.
He did both with aplomb and loved being a Celtic. And in a very high compliment, Bird called him the best teammate he ever had.
The two of them developed a rare chemistry, most famously seen when Bird famously stole the ball against Detroit in Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals and got it to Johnson for a game-winning layup.
