Chris Johnson (basketball, born 1990)

Christapher Johnson
Born	(1990-04-29) April 29, 1990 Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Years active	2012–present
Known for	Playing in the NBA and international basketball leagues

Christapher Johnson (born April 29, 1990) is an American professional basketball athlete who most recently competed for Hapoel Jerusalem. He played collegiate basketball at the University of Dayton. Measuring , Johnson primarily occupies the roles of small forward and shooting guard.

College career

During his initial year at the University of Dayton, Johnson participated in 34 contests, posting averages of 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

In his second collegiate season, he took part in 36 games, boosting his averages to 11.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per outing.

As a junior, Johnson was a starter in all 36 games, maintaining averages of 11.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. He led the Flyers in steals (31), free throw accuracy (.830), and three-point field goals made (77). Additionally, he ranked second on the squad in scoring, total rebounds, and offensive boards, tied for second in blocks (14), and was third in three-point shooting percentage (.379). Johnson recorded double-digit scoring in 24 games and achieved four double-doubles.

In his final collegiate year, Johnson earned co-MVP honors while helping Dayton achieve a 20–13 record and secure their third straight NIT berth. He delivered strong performances against major conference opponents, including scoring 20 points versus Alabama, 18 against Minnesota, and 16 against both Seton Hall and Ole Miss. Across 32 games that season, he averaged 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per contest.

2012 Summer League and preseason

Following the 2012 NBA draft where he went undrafted, Johnson joined the Philadelphia 76ers roster for the 2012 NBA Summer League. In September 2012, he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers but was released on October 7. Shortly after, on October 9, he signed with the Orlando Magic but was waived on October 27 after appearing in four preseason matchups.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Memphis Grizzlies (2013–2014)

On November 2, 2012, Johnson was picked seventh overall by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers during the 2012 NBA Development League Draft. He inked a 10-day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies on January 23, 2013, making his NBA debut that same day in a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. After signing a second 10-day contract on February 3, he returned to the Vipers on February 20 once his deal expired.

In July 2013, Johnson competed with the NBA D-League Select Team during the 2013 NBA Summer League. On September 30, 2013, he signed with the Brooklyn Nets but was waived on October 26 after participating in seven preseason games. The following month saw his return to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Boston Celtics (2014)

Johnson secured a 10-day contract with the Boston Celtics on January 17, 2014. He made his debut four days later by contributing 11 points along with three rebounds, one assist, and one steal in a narrow 93–86 defeat to the Miami Heat. After earning a second 10-day contract on January 28, he signed a multi-year deal on February 7. Johnson took part in the 2014 NBA Summer League representing the Celtics but was waived on September 25, 2014. Over the course of 40 games that season, he averaged 6.3 points and grabbed 2.4 rebounds while playing an average of 19.7 minutes per game.

Philadelphia 76ers (2014)

On September 29, 2014, Johnson inked a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. He took part in nine games throughout the 2014–15 NBA season before being released on November 15.

Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks (2014–2016)

Johnson rejoined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in December 2014 but secured a 10-day contract with the Utah Jazz on January 28, 2015. After Utah chose not to extend his contract on February 7, he returned to Rio Grande Valley later that same month.

On March 6, Johnson signed a 10-day contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, followed by a second contract on March 16. Across eight games, he averaged 3.9 points and 1.4 rebounds over 16 minutes per contest. Once his contract ended on March 26, Johnson agreed to a multi-year contract with the Utah Jazz.

He completed his first full NBA season during the 2015–16 NBA season with Utah. Johnson was waived on October 22, 2016, after participating in 82 games (including two starts) across two seasons, posting averages of 3.5 points and 1.8 rebounds in roughly 13 minutes per game.

Return to Rio Grande Valley (2016–2017)

Johnson was reacquired by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on November 23, 2016, where he averaged 13.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in the 2016–17 season. In July 2017, he competed in the NBA Summer League representing both the Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets. Subsequently, he signed with the Rockets for training camp on September 25, but was waived on October 13, 2017.

France (2017–2018)

Johnson committed to a one-year contract with French club BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque on November 13, 2017. He earned Pro A MVP of the Month accolades for February 2018. Over the course of 25 games during the season, he averaged 15.5 points, five rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest.

Israel (2018–2019)

On July 2, 2018, Johnson signed with Israeli team Hapoel Jerusalem for the upcoming season and contributed to their triumph in the 2019 Israeli State Cup.

Return to France (2019–2020)

Johnson returned to France by signing a one-year deal with JL Bourg on July 17, 2019, where he posted averages of 11.5 points and four rebounds per game.

Return to Israel (2020–2025)

He joined Hapoel Holon in Israel on August 6, 2020, averaging 11.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Johnson renewed his contract on July 10, 2021, followed by a two-year extension signed on January 24, 2022. On July 9, 2023, he transferred to Hapoel Jerusalem competing in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.

Élan Chalon (2025)

Johnson signed with Elan Chalon of the French LNB Pro A on July 20, 2025; however, on September 17 of the same year, it was announced that he would miss the entire season due to a health issue identified during medical evaluations.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Memphis | 8 || 0 || 12.8 || .440 || .333 || .500 || 1.4 || .3 || .5 || .0 || 3.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 40 || 0 || 19.7 || .397 || .339 || .860 || 2.4 || .8 || .7 || .1 || 6.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 9 || 2 || 20.8 || .317 || .256 || .750 || 2.9 || .3 || 1.0 || .6 || 6.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Utah | 12 || 0 || 17.6 || .484 || .342 || 1.000 || 1.5 || .6 || 1.0 || .0 || 6.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 8 || 0 || 16.0 || .400 || .278 || 1.000 || 1.4 || .6 || .6 || .3 || 3.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Utah | 70 || 2 || 12.2 || .371 || .273 || .810 || 1.9 || .6 || .5 || .3 || 2.9 |- | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 147 || 4 || 15.5 || .392 || .307 || .835 || 2.0 || .6 || .6 || .2 || 4.4

Personal life

Johnson is the child of Nicole Johnson and has two brothers and sisters named Ty’onna and Maurice.

External links

• Chris Johnson on nba.com
• Chris Johnson on nbadleague.com