Larry Johnson

GrandMama — the Rookie of the Year who hit the most dramatic four-point play in Knicks postseason history.

Larry Johnson was born in Tyler, Texas in 1969 and attended UNLV where he won the NCAA championship in 1990 and was named the national player of the year. Charlotte Hornets selected him first overall in the 1991 NBA Draft. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 1992 after averaging 19.2 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. He was selected to two All-Star games. He signed an 84 million dollar contract with Charlotte in 1993 — at the time the largest in NBA history. He was traded to the New York Knicks in 1996 and his most celebrated moment came in Game 3 of the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers — his four-point play with 5.0 seconds remaining, drawing the foul while making a three-pointer to cut the deficit and ultimately win the game, is one of the most celebrated late-game plays in Knicks history. A back injury that required surgery in 1994 progressively limited his effectiveness and prevented him from ever matching his spectacular early career production. He was the GrandMama — the character from his famous Converse advertising campaign. He won Olympic gold with the USA at the 1994 FIBA World Championships.

Physical power forward with strong post moves, mid-range shooting, and rebounding ability

One of the most dominant power forwards of the early 1990s before back injuries shortened his prime

• Rookie of the Year (1992)
• All-Star 2x
• All-NBA Second Team
• Olympic Gold Medal (1994)