50 Greatest NBA/ABA Players Not In the Hall Of Fame
By Phil Watson
(Photo by Ronald C. Modra/ Getty Images)
Marques Johnson was the last great star recruited by legendary coach John Wooden at UCLA and was the third overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1977 NBA Draft.
Johnson was a three-time All-NBA pick with the Bucks.
In September 1984, Milwaukee dealt Johnson to the Los Angeles Clippers with Junior Bridgeman, Harvey Catchings and cash for Terry Cummings, Ricky Pierce and Craig Hodges.
Back home in L.A., Johnson bounced back well before a neck injury brought his career to a halt in 1987, with the Clippers voiding his contract and claiming he was permanently disabled.
After sitting out two seasons, Johnson attempted a comeback with the Golden State Warriors, signing a free agent deal in October 1989. But after 10 games, Johnson was waived by the Warriors in November of that year.
In 11 NBA seasons, Johnson averaged 20.1 points, seven rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 34.3 minutes per game, shooting .518/.152/.739.