He was a fabulous ball-handler and IMO, probably the best defensive guard I've seen at UK since I began following the team in 1966. He really didn't have a conventional jump shot, but he could take you off the dribble and score and occasionally hit some shots inside about 15 to 18 feet, although his shot was very awkward. Overall though, his ability to run the team, distribute and stop his man from scoring was a huge asset to the team. He was also a great guy to talk to on campus.
Larry Johnson
- Thread starter arenk
- Start date
He was a good player, but unfortunately what I remember most is I attended (at age 16) the IU/UK game at Freedom Hall in Dec 1975 when IU was #1. UK was going to win, but Johnson took a very very bad shot at the very end. IU tied the game and ended up winning in OT to go on to be undefeated in 1975-76.
The other thing I remember is that Kent Benson used his fist to knock in a basket late in the contest. It was a great game that UK coulda, shoulda won.
The other thing I remember is that Kent Benson used his fist to knock in a basket late in the contest. It was a great game that UK coulda, shoulda won.
I had a family member who was very good friends with Larry, and I was able to meet him several times and even got to play hoops with him a couple of times. Super cool dude.
Didn't Johnson end up playing in Japan and became a legend over there. Ended up owning property and all kinds of stuff if I remember.
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