- Michael Cooper was one of the best defenders during his time
- Cooper didn’t know how Dennis Johnson managed to get the ball off his opponents
- Dennis Johnson was a force for the Celtics
Former NBA player Dee Brown explained how former Boston Celtics legend Dennis Johnson taught him the nitty-gritty of defense, and that left former Los Angeles Lakers legend Michael Cooper spellbound.
Speaking on Showtime with Michael Cooper, Brown had a brilliant explanation of how Johnson taught him defense.
“Other than Magic [Johnson], and I’m being really honest here, my other two favorite players were Dennis Johnson and Michael because they brought an element to the game of defense which I really thought I knew could be my calling card.”
He further added:
“I had an opportunity, I know DJ [Dennis Johnson] passed away, but to be mentored by him, and him teaching me, you know, how to count dribbles.”
At which point, Cooper interrupted him asking, “Wait, wait, count what?” to which Brown responded in detail:
“Count dribbles. When you’re playing defense, he told me how to count dribbles. So what happens is every player who brings the ball to the court has a dribble pattern when they’re comfortable and uncomfortable. It could be a 1-2 change or a 2-1-2, hesitate change, so he said to watch their pattern when they are comfortable because they will always go back to that pattern under pressure.”
“When you’re pressuring them on defense, they are always going to do a 1-2 between the legs, or whatever they are going to do. So watch the first part of the game, and figure out that dribble pattern. When you put the heat on them, they go back to what’s comfortable, that’s why DJ always picked the ball off people.”
This left Cooper impressed as he learned something that he never knew during his playing career. As for Johnson, his meticulous attention to detail made him one of the best defenders of his era.
Johnson was a late bloomer, but he understood how the game worked and found new ways to get the ball off the scorers. He was a key figure in helping the Boston Celtics win two championships in 1984 and 1986.
Dennis Johnson Was A Force With The Boston Celtics
Dennis Johnson signed with the Boston Celtics in 1984, the offseason after Larry Bird won his second championship with the franchise Boston.
With the Celtics, Johnson would be a veteran presence in their 1986 championship run, playing heavy minutes as the team’s starting point guard.
In his seven seasons in Boston, Johnson averaged 12.6 points, 6.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. He would call time in 1990 after a successful 13-year career.
While Bird may have been incredible throughout this era and won championships with and without Johnson, the latter proved to be a classic example of a perfectly complementary role player in a star-studded team.
Dennis Johnson Had A Decorated NBA Career
Drafted 29th overall in 1976 by the Seattle SuperSonics, Johnson started off his promising career as a shooting guard.
His exploits led to the franchise winning their solitary championship in 1979, where he averaged 14.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists and won Finals MVP as he propped up 22.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists.
Here’s a quick look at some of Dennis Johnson’s achievements in his 13-year career in the NBA:
3× NBA champion (1979, 1984, 1986)
NBA Finals MVP (1979)
5× NBA All-Star (1979–1982, 1985)
All-NBA First Team (1981)
All-NBA Second Team (1980)
6× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1979–1983, 1987)
3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1984–1986)
These are some staggering achievements that Johnson had in his illustrious career. Soon after, he plied his trade for the Phoenix Suns and later joined the Celtics ranks, where he won two more championships.
Such was his versatile play on both ends of the floor that he was a phenom to play against. And despite his track record, he is widely looked at as one of the most underrated NBA players of all time.
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