Ivan Johnson (basketball)
Ivan Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 10, 1984 |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2007–present |
Ivan Wilkerson Johnson (born April 10, 1984) is a retired American professional basketball athlete. His collegiate basketball journey included stints at Cisco College, L.A. Southwest JC, the University of Oregon, and Cal State San Bernardino.
Currently, Johnson participates in the 3-on-3 basketball competition known as the BIG3, representing the Ghost Ballers team.
College career
Johnson's college basketball tenure spanned four schools, beginning with junior colleges Cisco Junior College in Texas and Los Angeles Southwest College. At L.A. Southwest JC, during his sophomore year, he averaged 22.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per contest. He then earned a scholarship to the University of Oregon before concluding his collegiate playing days at Cal State San Bernardino.
NBA D-League and Korean Basketball League (2007–2010)
Johnson launched his professional career in the NBA D-League, appearing for the Anaheim Arsenal and Rio Grande Valley Vipers between 2007 and 2008. Following this, he competed in South Korea’s Korean Basketball League (KBL) with the Changwon LG Sakers and Jeonju KCC Egis from 2008 through 2010. His tenure in the KBL ended with a permanent ban after he made an offensive middle-finger gesture toward a referee during the championship final, alongside a fine amounting to US$4,448.
Atlanta Hawks (2011–2012)
Johnson inked a contract with the Atlanta Hawks on December 9, 2011. On April 13, 2012, he was dismissed from team activities and fined due to "conduct detrimental to the team." Nevertheless, three days later, he achieved a personal best by scoring 21 points against the Toronto Raptors.
Following the Hawks' playoff exit, on May 12, 2012, Johnson was penalized $25,000 by the NBA for directing a middle-finger gesture at a fan of the Boston Celtics.
He secured a one-year contract extension with Atlanta on September 18, 2012.
Zhejiang Golden Bulls (2013)
In August of 2013, Johnson joined the Chinese club Zhejiang Golden Bulls.
Brief return to Dallas (2014)
Johnson signed with the Dallas Mavericks on July 29, 2014; however, he was released on October 25 of that year. Subsequently, he became part of the Texas Legends in the NBA Development League on December 5, 2014, before being waived on February 6, 2015.
Talk 'N Text (2015)
On February 18, 2015, Johnson entered into an agreement with the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters competing in the Philippine Basketball Association. He played a role in helping secure their triumph in the 2015 PBA Commissioner's Cup on April 29, 2015.
RETAbet.es GBC (2015)
In September 2015, Johnson signed for Spanish side RETAbet.es GBC for the upcoming season but parted ways with them by October.
Return to Talk 'N Text / Tropang TNT (2016)
Johnson rejoined reigning champions Tropang TNT on January 13, 2016 as their import for the 2016 PBA Commissioner's Cup. Shortly before the tournament commenced, he was involved in an altercation with players from Blackwater Elite during a preparatory match, resulting in a suspension for one game and a fine of 50,000 pesos.
On February 13, 2016, Johnson initially received a lifetime ban from the PBA and was fined 250,000 pesos after showing disrespect toward Commissioner Chito Narvasa during a contest against the Meralco Bolts. Earlier in that fixture, he had been assessed technical fouls and a flagrant foul due to aggressive conduct against Meralco forwards Kelly Nabong and Bryan Faundo, which led to his ejection.
Following these events, Johnson issued an apology via Twitter, expressing gratitude to the PBA for allowing him to continue as Tropang TNT's import. Commissioner Narvasa accepted this apology three days later. Consequently, Johnson’s suspension was reduced to one season and his fine lowered to 150,000 pesos.
Petrochimi Bandar Imam / Caciques de Humacao (2016)
Johnson inked a contract with Petrochimi Bandar Imam of the Iranian Super League on March 9, 2016. Despite this signing, he did not appear in any games for the team. On April 25, he departed from Petrochimi and returned to Caciques de Humacao for a second tenure.
Hekmeh/Sagesse (2016)
On December 12, 2016, Johnson agreed to join Sagesse, a club competing in the Lebanese Basketball League.
Alab Pilipinas (2017)
Following his time in the BIG3, Johnson resumed his professional five-on-five career by signing as the World Import for Alab Pilipinas in the ASEAN Basketball League. This engagement marked his third period playing professionally in the Philippines.
Regular season
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Atlanta | 56 || 0 || 16.7 || .513 || .333 || .720 || 4.0 || .6 || .8 || .3 || 6.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Atlanta | 69 || 5 || 15.0 || .520 || .077 || .618 || 3.9 || .7 || .8 || .2 || 6.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| | 125|| 5 || 15.8 || .517 || .158 || .662 || 3.9 || .6 || .8 || .3 || 6.5
Playoffs
|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2012 | style="text-align:left;"| Atlanta | 5 || 0 || 10.8 || .313 || .000 || .600 || 3.4 || .0 || .6 || .0 || 2.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2013 | style="text-align:left;"| Atlanta | 6 || 0 || 18.0 || .462 || .000 || .667 || 3.3 || .5 || .7 || .5 || 6.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| | 11 || 0 || 14.7 || .405 || .000 || .652 || 3.4 || .3 || .6 || .3 || 4.5
Personal life
Johnson is partnered with Ivelisse Ramos Esquilin, and they reside together in San Antonio, Texas, alongside her children.