UCLA national champion and Pac-8 Player of the Year — the Bruins' star in the post-Walton era.
Marques Kevin Johnson was born in Natchitoches, Louisiana in 1956. He attended UCLA University under coach John Wooden and Gene Bartow and won the national championship in 1975 — the year Wooden coached his final game. He was a two-time All-American and the Pac-8 Player of the Year. He averaged 19.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game across his four UCLA seasons. As the programme transitioned from the Bill Walton era to its post-Wooden years, Johnson was the bridge — talented enough to win one championship and lead the Bruins in the difficult years after Wooden's retirement in 1975. He was selected third overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1977 NBA Draft. His five All-Star professional appearances confirmed the promise his college career showed. His UCLA career — following Walton and Alcindor in one of the most decorated lineages in college basketball history — required performing in the long shadow of those legends while establishing his own identity. He succeeded on both counts.
National Championship (1975)
Career Honours
- National Championship (1975)
- Naismith Award finalist
- Pac-8 Player of Year
- All-American 2x