Edward Johnson, Jr.

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See Eddie Johnson (basketball) for the similarly-named NBA player born in 1959.

Edward "Fast Eddie" Johnson, Jr. (born February 24, 1955 in Ocala, Florida) is a former professional basketball player. A 6'2" guard from Auburn University, Johnson played 10 seasons (1977–1987) in the NBA as a member of the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Seattle SuperSonics. He represented the Hawks in three NBA All-Star Games (1980, 1981 and 1982) and scored 10,163 points in his career. As a player, he was known for his great speed and slashing ability.

Eddie's brother Frank played and coached in the NBA.

On August 9, 2006, the Associated Press reported that Johnson had been arrested for sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl.^[1] The arrest created additional controversy when, in multiple publications, the picture of another NBA player named Eddie Johnson was used in articles covering the arrest. The non-"Fast" Eddie Johnson has considered pressing charges for defamation and negligence due to the damage to his reputation that occurred following the reports.

[edit] Biography

With a blistering move to the hoop and a sweet outside shot, Eddie Johnson became one of the league’s finer guards during the 1980s. “Fast Eddie” started in two All-Star Games and averaged double figures in scoring in 9 of his 10 years in the NBA.

A product of Auburn University, Johnson joined Atlanta as a relatively unsung prospect; 48 players were chosen before the Hawks selected him in the third round of the 1977 NBA Draft. Johnson spent his first season sharing time in the backcourt with 5-foot-8 Charles Criss. Averaging 10.5 points, the stylish rookie helped the Hawks return to the playoffs after a four-year absence. All told, Atlanta reached the postseason in six of Johnson’s eight full years with the club.

With Criss injured the following year, Johnson became a starter in 1978–79. He held the job four years in a row, averaging at least 16 points each season. In only his third year in the league, fans voted Johnson into a starting spot in the NBA All-Star Game. He scored 22 points on 11-of-16 shooting in the 1980 midseason classic and 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting as a starter one year later. For the 1980–81 season Johnson ranked second on the Hawks in scoring with a career-high 19.1 points per game.

Injuries began to slow Johnson by 1982; he played in no more than 73 games per year from that point on. Still, he managed to score 16 or more points per game in two of his final three seasons playing with the Hawks. With Johnson, Glenn “Doc” Rivers, Johnny Davis, Rory Sparrow, and Anthony “Spud” Webb, Atlanta in those years boasted some of the best backcourt talent in the league.

Johnson never did compete for an NBA Championship. The closest he came was in 1978–79, when Atlanta lost in the conference semifinals to the Washington Bullets.

One of the more popular Hawks during his tenure, Johnson was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers midway through the 1985–86 season. He finished the campaign with the Cavs and ended his career with the Seattle SuperSonics a year later. Johnson left the game in 1987 with 10,163 points and a career average of 15.1 points per game.