DerMarr Johnson

DerMarr Miles Johnson (born May 5, 1980) is an American professional basketball player.

Johnson was a consensus McDonald's, Parade Magazine and USA Today high school All-American as well as Parade's National High School Player of the Year as a senior in 1999. After attending the University of Cincinnati with future NBA players Kenyon Martin, Kenny Satterfield and draftee Steve Logan, he was selected sixth overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2000 NBA Draft. In two seasons with the team he averaged 6.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. On September 13, 2002, Johnson's blue Mercedes-Benz S600 crashed into a tree and caught fire;[1][2] one of three occupants, none of whom were determined to be driving,[1][2] he cracked four vertebrae in his neck,[1][2] nearly causing paralysis.[3] Fitted to a halo brace during his recovery,[4] Johnson was subsequently sidelined for the entire 2002-03 NBA season, and questions surfaced regarding him ever playing again. Johnson's miraculous return to the league began in October 2003 when he signed with the Phoenix Suns only to be waived two weeks later without ever having played a game for them. He then moved on to the American Basketball Association's Long Beach Jam where he played 19 games, before rejoining the NBA, signing a contract with the New York Knicks. The following season, in 2004-05, Johnson rejuvenated his career with the Denver Nuggets, participating in 71 games, and averaging 7.1 points on 49.9 percent field goal shooting. During the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, Johnson averaged 5 points on 40 percent shooting in 97 games.

Johnson reportedly signed with Italian team Pallacanestro Treviso in August 2007,[5] but quickly jumped back to the NBA Development League's San Antonio affiliate Austin Toros. Johnson averaged 15.8 points and 6 rebounds in 10 games with the Toros. On December 29 he signed with the San Antonio Spurs after they waived rarely used rookie combo guard Marcus Williams.[6] But on January 7, 2008, Johnson was released from San Antonio Spurs. He was again re-signed by the Spurs, in April.[7] In October 2010 Johnson signed with Hekmeh in Lebanon.[8] Johnson then signed with the Colombian League team Bukaros in September 2011. In 2012, he played for Barako Bull Energy in the Philippines. He then played in Argentina and Venezuela.[9]

Johnson competes for Team City of Gods in The Basketball Tournament. He was a forward on the 2015 team who made it to the semifinals, losing to Overseas Elite 84-71.

On January 25, 2017, the University of Cincinnati hired Johnson as a student assistant coach for the men's basketball team, so Johnson could complete his degree after leaving for the NBA after his freshman year.