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Washington Wizards: 25 Best Players To Play For The Wizards

By Phil Watson

Jan 28, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; A general view of the scoreboard at Verizon Center, as the Washington Wizards changed their name to the Baltimore Bullets for one game as part of throwback night against the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets won 117-113. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; A general view of the scoreboard at Verizon Center, as the Washington Wizards changed their name to the Baltimore Bullets for one game as part of throwback night against the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets won 117-113. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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BALTIMORE, MD - CIRCA 1970: Gus Johnson #25 of the Baltimore Bullets goes up to shoot against the Cincinnati Royals during an NBA basketball game circa 1970 at the Baltimore Civic Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Johnson played for the Bullets from 1963-72. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Gus Johnson
BALTIMORE, MD – CIRCA 1970: Gus Johnson #25 of the Baltimore Bullets goes up to shoot against the Cincinnati Royals during an NBA basketball game circa 1970 at the Baltimore Civic Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Johnson played for the Bullets from 1963-72. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Gus Johnson /

<strong>How acquired:</strong> Second-round pick (10th overall) from Idaho, 1963 NBA Draft.. PF-SF. 1963-72. Gus Johnson. 5. player. 142

Gus Johnson was a sensation in his lone season at Idaho as a junior, averaging 19 points and more than 20 rebounds per game and the Baltimore Bullets used a second-round pick to take the combo forward in the 1963 NBA Draft.

Johnson went on to be named All-Rookie in 1963-64 and was picked as an All-Star five times. He was an All-NBA selection four times and was named All-Defensive twice, finishing fifth in the NBA in rebounding in 1969-70.

WAS_05_JOHNSON
WAS_05_JOHNSON /

But when the Bullets reached the NBA Finals in 1971, Johnson missed two games with an injury, averaging 10.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and two assists in 28.5 minutes per game in Games 2 and 4 of the sweep by the

Milwaukee Bucks

, shooting 32 percent from the field and going 5-for-6 at the line.

In April 1972, Johnson was traded to the Phoenix Suns for a second-round pick in 1972.

In nine seasons in Baltimore, Johnson averaged 17.5 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 35.2 minutes per game, shooting 44.1 percent from the floor and 69.9 percent at the foul line.

Johnson was waived by the Suns in December 1972 and signed two weeks later with the ABA’s Indiana Pacers, winning an ABA title before retiring after the 1972-73 season.

Johnson died from inoperable brain cancer on April 29, 1987, at just age 48 and was posthumously inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

He is 12th in NBA history with an average of 12.7 rebounds per game.

Next: Agent Zero Lit It Up In D.C.

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