Post by Indiana on Jul 10, 2015 8:55:27 GMT -6
The Life of a Trouble Maker
We see these heroes on our big screens, we adore them, we want to be them, we put faith in them. They come through for us at vital times, faith in them is never lost. These are our heroes, our knights in shining armour, they are our Adonis, they are our Zues, our Odin, they are gods that walk among us mere mortals. Men that can do no wrong, shining examples of the human race.
What we do as fans is choose to overlook the fact that our childhood heroes or our childrens current heroes, present day legends are flawed individuals just like the rest of us. They all have their bad habits, their crazy obsessions, or a past that they would rather forget. We need them in our lives not as flawed humans but as supreme individuals capable of great acts. When an athlete goes pro 2 decisions are made. The athlete, the potential superstar or budding young hero makes the first, he takes all of his flaws, all of his bad habits and freaky obsessions and locks them behind a concrete door that only he has the key to, a door that only gets opened when all the lights and cameras are turned off. The second decision is made by the fan, can this guy be it, will he be my hero, my champion that will bleed in the colors that i love so dearly? Will he be a hero?
On rare occasions an athlete comes through that carries his own bags, he owns his flaws, he takes pride in his past and he couldnt care less what people think. He wins our hearts when he goes to war in our teams colors and comes out a triumphant hero. On rare occassions our hero is a trouble maker and we love him to death! This is the story of Dennis Johnson.
THE EARLY YEARS
Dennis Johnson was born 1 of 18 children to middle class parents in the rough nieghbourhood of Compton, LA. It was here that Dennis would be given the nickname of DJ that would follow him his whole life. Being 1 of 18 children he learnt to scrap at an early age yet all the while forging a strong family bound with his mother, father and 17 siblings. DJ's family bond was so strong here that he would never feel the "family bond" with any of his future basketball teams that so many pro ballers talk about. DJ attended Dominguez High School which boasted a good athletic department, at this time DJ stood just 5'9 and was selected for the school basketball team however being so short resulted in DJ playing very limited minutes right throughout his highschool years and barely made mention. In DJ's spare time he would hit the streets, play streetball in the Compton nieghbourhood, hang with friend and crooks and created mischeif for himself. Playing so much street ball however DJ gained a seriously hard nosed edge to his game. He grew 4 inchs and could leap out of this world, he learnt the art of defense and the flashy pass, he played so often that his game improved immensly. During a summer league competition that he played in with his brother DJ was approached and convinced by a high profile coach to enrole at Pepperdine University to play basketball for the Pepperdine Waves.
MAKING WAVES AT PEPPERDINE
Its safe to say that no one expected DJ to make such an impact during his 1 year at Pepperdine. The university already had in place an excellent basketball program and DJ was expected to play a few minutes a game and make little impact. What Pepperdine expected and what Pepperdine got were 2 totally different things. Dennis Johnson would literally explode and announce himself as to the basketball world. DJ was so good he made front pages of magazines and broke school records. He bought that hard edge that he crafted so well on the streets of Compton to the University of Pepperdine, he hussled hard, he ran the play, he scored big and earnt the respect and admiration of the entire organisation despite being a trouble maker. He adapted his street edge, the no blood no foul, the no charge in the key way style of play so effectively that he was named conference player of the year on 2018. DJ's private life was much the same as it always was. He stayed true to who he was, he hung with the same people and never gave a damn about the image it gave him. In 2018 despite Pepperdine pleading with DJ to stay on for another year he nominated himself for the national ABCA draft, he was going to choose a professional career over loyalty to Pepperdine and an education however DJ's reputation was almost his downfall as many ABCA clubs simply refused to even speak to DJ due to his off court personality.
A FRESH TROTTER
DJ has admitted that at the time he thought he may of made a mistake applying for the draft and was considering returning to Pepperdine as a result of little interest shown to him by the pro clubs however he did not need to wait to long to hear his name called out on draft night. With pick 3 of the 2019 Dennis Johnson became a Harlem Globetrotter. He traded the streets of Los Angeles for the streets of Harlem but this time he would straighten up his act. The thought of returning to Compton empty handed before the draft had triggered a desire for success and riches. They say when you come from humble beginnings the riches of life never seem real and DJ would chase the mighty dollar above anything else but a championship was his desire. Larry Bird went pick 1 and Robert Parrish pick 2, all would have great first years for first year players but Harlem at the time were a shocking team. DJ's trotters won less then 30 games in his first year, a tough initiation to professional basketball. This 1 losing season would be the first and last losing season in DJ's career to date. It's a season where DJ simply learnt above anything else to never accept failure, a season he would look back on to draw inspiration to become a better a player. DJ would be named on the All Rookie 1st Team and lead the Harlem Globetrotter's in assists, a stat that he would lead his team in every single year he has played in the ABCA.
THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING SPECIAL
Things would never be the same for DJ again, after a losing season in is rookie year DJ elevated his game to extraordinary levels. He would play his heart out on the defensive end in typical fashion. He bled for the Globetrotters and enforced his style on the game which lifted his team to new heights. His passing skill would improve too, as DJ took a back seat approach to scoring and applied his trade as a true enforcer and distributor. The Harlem Globetrotters were a team on the rise on the back of some brilliant ball handling and supply from Dennis Johnson. In his second year in the league DJ's Globetrotters found themselves in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history making it to the second round. DJ continued his unique style of intimidation and dominance into the 2021 season, by now the Globetrotters had aquired Robert Parish as their first choice center uniting DJ and Parish who were drafted picks 2 and 3 in the same draft year and Harlem looked like a legitimate championship threat. Every bookie in town had Harlem as the favorite as they fort their way to a franchise record 60 wins and pushed into the second round of the playoffs yet again. It's hard for a team so good to be beaten and knocked out of the finals 2 years running. Harlem gets knocked out in round 2. A team will do 1 of 2 things at this point, they will either lay down and die or fight on like warriors. Harlem fans everywhere were heart broken, DJ was distraught, Harlem was shattered. How you fall is 1 thing, what you do when you get back up is another.
EVERYBODY GET OUT THE WAY!
What happened next was DJ's defining moment. The bad boy that Harlem fans adored, the trouble maker that would become a legend, the talent that the opposition wanted to see dead. He was loved, he was hated, he was about to stand up and everyone better get out the way. This was DJ's year, after taking the round 2 exit so badly DJ took over. He elevated his game in every possible way. He added scoring to his already formidable range of tools, killed defenses with layoffs and quite simply shut down teams almost single handed. In 2022 DJ lead the the league in assists and steals as team mates around him rose to the occasion inspired by the effort of DJ, man on a mission. DJ carried his Globetrotter team to a franchise record 63 wins and spurred on by the previous years disappointment the Globetrotters would destroy all in their wake as they march onto the finals series. They say it's all about how you get up, Dennis Johnson is made of a very tough cloth. DJ's playoff series was so good he was named playoff MVP to add to his long list of awards for the year. At this point the fans long time faith in their hero speaks for itself. The fan feels the same pain, the sense of loss, the joy, the same emotion. They're there for the ride every step of the way and at this point in time the world is perfect, their hero provides.DJ's 2022 achievements:
ABCA Champion
Playoff MVP
Assist leader
Steals leader
All league 1st team
Defensive 1st team
Most improved
All-star
DIFFERENT STROKES
DJ would go on to have arguably a better season in 2023 then he did the previous year. High on thier championship Harlem rolled everyone that stood in their way and again set a franchise record for wins. This they would top the league and finish the season as the number seed. DJ was named as steals leader, all league 1st team, defensive 1st team and All-star ans the trotters looked set to go back to back. What happened here still remains a mystery. How a team so talented with DJ at the helm could drop the ball in dramatic fashion is still a talking point at water holes all over the country. The Globetrotters getting knocked out of the playoffs in round 2 was the beginning of the end. Fans so confident of a repeat felt the full torture of failure, the same feeling the players feel. The joy and jubilation felt the previous year was a distant memory, the harsh reality that nothing lasts forever kicks in. If Harlem fans could stay in that championship moment for the rest of eternity they would but the world rolls on and the pain sets in. DJ would try for 2 more years at Harlem to reach that ultimate prize, that place in the sunshine where the world is a perfect place but it would all be in vein. At the end of the 2025 season DJ would pack his bag heading for a new team, coincedently Harlem have never made a finals series since DJ's departure. He may wear different colors but Harlem fans will always love the trouble maker that bought glory to Harlem.
