San Antonio Spurs: 15 players you may have forgot played in San Antonio

No. 2: Vinnie Johnson (1991-92)

Few players in the game of basketball struck as much fear into an opponent after a single made bucket or two that Vinnie Johnson did.

Properly nicknamed “The Microwave,” Johnson spent the better part of his career as a 6’2″, 200 lbs — and that feels inaccurate given his action figure type top-half — score-first bench spark for two NBA champion Detroit Pistons teams. Johnson had a thing for the big moment, a sure thing to rise up to the occasion.

Those occasions soon came less frequently. After the 1991 season, when the Pistons finally succumbed to the up-and-coming Bulls, patience ran short, and so did Johnson’s knee cartilage. Johnson was waived by Detroit and out of the league, until the Spurs took a chance on him in mid-December, having had the most cap space in the NBA.

To that point, the San Antonio Spurs were 11-8, and in need of an extra jolt. The rest of the way, Johnson helped them to a 34-26 record, and averaged 8.0 points per game on 40.5 percent shooting. The Spurs were a quick first-round out in Phoenix, but hung tight in every game.

Unable to return to the form of yesterday, Johnson retired after the season. But, it had to have been close to a storybook finish, having a chance to play alongside his brother, Avery Johnson, before calling it quits.