| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1980-05-05)May 5, 1980 (age 45) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 201 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Maine Central Institute (Pittsfield, Maine) |
| College | Cincinnati (1999–2000) |
| NBA draft | 2000: 1st round, 6th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Atlanta Hawks |
| Playing career | 2000–2015 |
| Position | Shooting guard /small forward |
| Number | 1, 4, 3, 8 |
| Coaching career | 2021–present |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 2000–2003 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2003 | Long Beach Jam |
| 2004 | New York Knicks |
| 2004–2007 | Denver Nuggets |
| 2007 | Benetton Treviso |
| 2007 | Austin Toros |
| 2007–2008 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2009–2010 | Jiangsu Dragons |
| 2010 | Leones de Ponce |
| 2010–2011 | Sagesse Club Beirut |
| 2011 | Bukaros |
| 2012 | Barako Bull Energy |
| 2012 | Osos de Guadalajara |
| 2013 | Libertad Sunchales |
| 2013–2014 | Guaros de Lara |
| 2014 | Fuerza Regia |
| 2015 | Indios de San Francisco de Macorís |
Coaching | |
| 2022–2024 | West Virginia (assistant) |
| 2025–present | Tennessee St (assistant) |
| Career highlights | |
As player:
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
DerMarr Miles Johnson (born May 5, 1980) is a retired American basketball player and current assistant coach who played seven seasons in theNBA.
Johnson was a consensusMcDonald's,Parade Magazine andUSA Today high schoolAll-American as well as Parade's National High School Player of the Year as a senior in 1999. Johnson chose to theUniversity of Cincinnati and would play for coachBob Huggins alongsideSteven Logan and future NBA playersKenyon Martin andKenny Satterfield. The1999–2000 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team were one of the nation's most talented teams, spending the majority of the season ranked No. 1 before Kenyon Martin injured his knee in the conference tournament and cut short what could have been a deep March Madness run by the Bearcats.[1] Johnson was a one and done and declared for theNBA draft after his lone season at Cincinnati.
Johnson was selected sixth overall by theAtlanta Hawks in the2000 NBA draft. His debut game was played on October 31, 2000, in an 82 - 106 loss to theNew Orleans Hornets where he played for a little under 6 minutes and only recorded 1 steal, 1 turnover and 3 fouls.[2]
In two seasons with the Hawks, he averaged 6.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. On September 13, 2002, Johnson's car crashed into a tree and caught fire. It was not known who was driving; Johnson was one of three occupants and cracked four vertebrae in his neck,[3][4] nearly causingparalysis.[5] Fitted to ahalo brace during his recovery,[6] Johnson was sidelined for the entire2002-03 NBA season, and questions surfaced regarding him ever playing again. He returned to the league in October 2003 when he signed with thePhoenix Suns only to be waived two weeks later without ever having played a game for them. He then moved on to theAmerican Basketball Association'sLong Beach Jam where he played 19 games, before rejoining the NBA, signing a contract with theNew York Knicks. The following season, in 2004–05, Johnson rejuvenated his career with theDenver Nuggets, playing in 71 games and averaging 7.1 points on 49.9 percent field goal shooting. During the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, Johnson averaged 5 points on 40 percent shooting in 97 games.
Johnson reportedly signed with Italian teamBenetton Treviso in August 2007,[7] but quickly jumped back to theNBA Development League's San Antonio affiliateAustin Toros. Johnson averaged 15.8 points and 6 rebounds in 10 games with the Toros. On December 29 he signed with theSan Antonio Spurs after they waived rarely used rookie combo guardMarcus Williams.[8] But on January 7, 2008, Johnson was released fromSan Antonio Spurs. He was again re-signed by the Spurs, in April. In total, Johnson only played 5 games with the Spurs.
Johnson's final NBA game was played on April 13, 2008, in an 85–106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. In his final game, he recorded 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal.[9]
In October 2010 Johnson signed withHekmeh inLebanon.[10] Johnson then signed with theColombian League teamBukaros in September 2011. In 2012, he played forBarako Bull Energy in the Philippines. He also played for theOsos de Guadalajara in the MexicanLiga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP), where he averaged 26.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.[11] He then played in Argentina and Venezuela.[12]
Johnson competed forTeam City of Gods inThe Basketball Tournament. He was a forward on the 2015 team which made it to the semifinals, losing toOverseas Elite 84–71.[citation needed]
On January 25, 2017, theUniversity of Cincinnati hired Johnson as a student assistant coach for themen's basketball team while Johnson completed his unfinished degree, which he did in 2019.[citation needed]
In May 2021, Johnson returned to his alma mater to be director of player development for the men's basketball program under coachWes Miller.[citation needed]
Midway through the2022–23 season on January 16, 2023, Johnson was announced as an assistant coach under his former college coachBob Huggins atWest Virginia.[13]
Johnson stayed on at WVU as an assistant after the firing of Bob Huggins. His contract was not renewed after the 2023–2024.
In 2007, DerMarr Johnson was charged with resisting arrest and interfering with police during a disturbance outside a Denver nightclub. Police said they used a taser to calm the 6-foot-9 player.[14]
In 2008 Johnson was also arrested for DUI in San Antonio.[15] He was pulled over for going 85 MPH in a posted 65 MPH zone. Police smelled alcohol and Johnson admitted to drinking "a few cups" of wine.
Johnson was also seen frequently in Morgantown enjoying Nightlife. Speculation about his commitment to coaching and widely known presence in the bars of Morgantown, may have led to his contract not being renewed by WVU.
Some argue that due to his 2002 wreck as well, that Johnson is one of the biggest busts in NBA History.[16]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | Atlanta | 78 | 21 | 16.8 | .374 | .323 | .736 | 2.3 | .8 | .6 | .4 | 5.1 |
| 2001–02 | Atlanta | 72 | 46 | 24.0 | .396 | .360 | .810 | 3.4 | 1.1 | .9 | .8 | 8.4 |
| 2003–04 | New York | 21 | 1 | 13.7 | .371 | .361 | .903 | 1.9 | .5 | .4 | .3 | 5.4 |
| 2004–05 | Denver | 71 | 40 | 17.4 | .499 | .358 | .792 | 2.1 | 1.1 | .6 | .3 | 7.1 |
| 2005–06 | Denver | 58 | 21 | 15.9 | .431 | .350 | .810 | 1.7 | .9 | .4 | .4 | 6.1 |
| 2006–07 | Denver | 39 | 7 | 10.7 | .325 | .216 | .762 | 1.5 | .4 | .4 | .3 | 3.5 |
| 2007–08 | San Antonio | 5 | 0 | 5.6 | .500 | .333 | .000 | .2 | .2 | .2 | .0 | 3.4 |
| Career | 344 | 136 | 17.2 | .411 | .336 | .789 | 2.2 | .9 | .6 | .4 | 6.2 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | New York | 3 | 0 | 5.7 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .7 | .7 | .0 | .3 | .0 |
| 2005 | Denver | 4 | 2 | 19.5 | .550 | .364 | 1.000 | 2.0 | .8 | .5 | .5 | 7.3 |
| 2006 | Denver | 3 | 0 | 11.3 | .231 | .100 | .000 | 3.3 | .7 | .0 | .3 | 2.3 |
| Career | 10 | 2 | 12.9 | .368 | .208 | 1.000 | 2.0 | .7 | .2 | .4 | 3.6 | |