James Johnson Biography, NBA Career Stats, Height, Net Worth, Salary and Family

James Johnson is an established martial artist and kickboxer who makes the game of hoops a joy to watch go through with his competitive edge and precise delivery of dunks. It’s no news that his vast knowledge of martial arts has made him so much more flexible and effective as a power/small forward for the NBA’s Miami Heat. Here is more about the details of this phenomenal baller.

James Johnson bio

The NBA player was born in a family where athleticism is esteemed. That’s no surprise anyway, as he comes from Samoan heritage on his mother’s side. Samoans are highly visible in sports such as boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and sumo. Arguably the world’s best in wrestling, the Anoa’i dynasty which is known for its strong production of top wrestlers such as Rikishi, Umaga, Yokozuna, Roman Reigns and The Usos. The Rock, Dwayne Johnson also has a connection to this dynasty through his maternal grandfather.

The Johnson family is steeped in kickboxing and MMA (more on that later). James Patrick Johnson, Heat forward was born the middle of nine children (7 boys and 2 girls) to Willie Johnson who was a black belt kickboxer and Vi Johnson, also a professional kickboxer on the 20th day of February 20, 1987, in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He also has African American ancestry from his father.

Before becoming the professional basketball player we are today, he was a martial arts prodigy nicknamed “Little Ali” by his parents due to his quick footwork and all-around speed. He also played football and didn’t take hoops until eighth grade. Undefeated, he holds a second-degree black belt and won seven world karate titles and nine national championships during his brief combat sports career.

James Johnson had his first MMA fight when he was 18 and was declared the winner after 97 seconds. He then beat Damon Clark, then 31, who continued to fight professionally. He also set a 21-0 record in kickboxing competition and would like to be signed to the UFC after his hoops career, although he would have done so after high school there had been kickboxing scholarships. or mixed martial arts instead of basketball and soccer. Nonetheless, he brings his mixed martial arts background to the basketball court and impresses there.

Johnson attended Cheyenne East High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming where he shone on the court. As a junior, he led his team to the 2006 Class 4A state championship and averaged 28 points and 9 rebounds per game in his senior year. He was rated a four-star rookie by Rivals.com out of high school and was also ranked the No. 16 small forward and No. 62 player in the nation in 2007.

He enrolled at Wake Forest University where he played for the Demon Deacons men’s basketball team from 2007 to 2009. Over the years, he earned All-ACC third-team honors at the both as a rookie and sophomore and led the team in scoring as a rookie and rebounding for both seasons. Johnson declared his eligibility for the 2009 NBA Draft after his sophomore season.

NBA career statistics

He was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the first round (16th overall) of the draft. With his selection in the NBA, James Johnson became the second player of Samoan heritage to play in the league since Wally Rank in the 1980s.

The Bulls assigned him to the Iowa Energy of theNBA D-League in January 2011 but recalled him on February 14, 2011. Johnson was traded to the Toronto Raptors a few days later, then on July 16, 2012 he was traded to the Toronto Raptors. again traded to the Sacramento Kings. He signed with the Atlanta Hawks on the last day of September 2013, but was waived 21 days later. Shortly after being waived, he was acquired by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in November and in 10 games with them he averaged 18.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1 .9 interceptions and 3.4 blocks per game. After his time with the Vipers, he signed with the Memphis Grizzlies in December where he remained until July 2014.

Johnson returned for a second stint with the Raptors on July 17, 2014. On the team, he posted a career-high 27 points in February 2015. When the time came for his boat to go again, he did and hosted at Miami Heat. James Johnson signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Miami Heat in the summer of 2016. In eight seasons of his career, he played for five teams and was finally ready to find his best game and probably score. his longest stay on a team.

With the Heat, he’s doing things he’s never done in his career, seemingly restoring the faith shown by the front office and coaching staff, producing stellar seasons to make up for the playing time and opportunities that he had with his former teams. Or he can finally prove why he was a first-round pick from Wake Forest. He also proved versatile on the bench and provided an exceptional and reliable presence in the team.

In his first season with the Miami Heat, he played a career-best 76 games, averaging 12.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.0 steals in 27.4 minutes per game. For the 2017-18 season, Johnson played in 73 games averaging 10.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. Throughout his career, he appeared in 547 games averaging 8.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

He agreed to a four-year contract with the Miami Heat with a fourth-year player option in July 2017.

Net salary

Martial arts may be a legacy for Johnson, but basketball remains his labor of love. Each job comes with its proportional salary and he receives his own. His last deal is a four-year, $60 million deal with the Miami Heat. His net worth has not been disclosed.

James Johnson’s family

The Johnson’s are a clan of warriors. As previously stated, their patriarch, Willie, a former Marine is a sixth degree black belt. However, this is only a fraction of his accomplishments in the combat sports arena. He is also a seven-time kickboxing world champion with five world titles and 10 national karate titles. He grew up fighting and trained his children in MMA, kickboxing and Kenpo karate. Willie runs J&P’s martial arts studio in Cheyenne.

His wife also holds a black belt and a five-time national winner as a competitor. She is a Samoan immigrant who started street fighting as a teenage gang leader of the Bloods from the town of Krook in Oceanside.

The Johnson children took well after their parents, each of them being black belts to varying degrees. They have also won national titles or been runners-up.

The Heat forward was married to Callie Johnson for two years. After a series of domestic assaults on his wife in 2014, the couple divorced. He has two sons, Harlem and Naymin (born March 9, 2013, whose names he inscribed around his neck).

the size

He is 6’8″ (2.03m) and as such a match problem as he can extend his game beyond the three-point line and shoot at smaller defenders or even score against slower opponents inside the track. His body weighs 240 lbs (109 kg).