Dennis Johnson Leads the Sonics to Ring, Takes Home Finals MVP (1979)

June 1, 1979 - Seattle SuperSonics guard Dennis Johnson topped off a Finals MVP performance with 21 points, 5 assists, and a block in a 97-93 championship-clinching Game 5 win over the Washington Bullets. Johnson averaged 22.6 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1.8 steals, and 2.2 (!!) blocks per game for the series, establishing himself as not only the preeminent defensive guard in the NBA but also setting the groundwork for a Hall of Fame career that'd include two more rings as a member of the Boston Celtics.
Game 5 Box Score: www.basketball...

[@jjs777fzr]

RIP DJ you are missed. From Boston.

[@dadolee5069]

My Second favorite player closely behind The Doctor.... RIP DJ

[@bryanburnap4537]

I went to DJ night on December 13th 1991 at the old Garden. A great night for a great player

[@michaelerisman757]

DJ was spectacular in that series! His block #'s were likely double that considering all the terrible goal tending calls against him. #HOF

[@manuginobilisbaldspot424]

One of the forgotten redemption stories in NBA championship/Finals history. DJ wore the goat horns going 0 for 14 in Game 7 in '78. Definitely bounced back in a big way in '79.

[@davidclark8543]

You said a mouthful & couldn't have said it better! DJ was underrated outside of his peers & never truly got recognized as a HOF player till he became Larry Bird's greatest teammate ever! But all of us in Seattle knew he was destined for greatness. As a Supersonic he could jump out of the gym & was clutch during 1979 NBA Championship. And how many blocks on opposing shooting guard Kevin Grevey of the Bullets in both Finals series? Gus Williams led Seattle in PPG, but w/o DJ the Bullets would have went back-to-back. They were lucky to beat them in 7 in '78 tbh! Lenny & the boys were determined in 1978-79 to take the championship & never should've traded Dennis a year later. Sure Magic was rising as a superstar & destroyed Seattle in '80 WCF, but 1981 had the Supes worked out Williams contract & kept DJ, Sonics would've surely been a factor that year considering Magic's choke job in WC mini-series vs Houston. And Bird's Celtics would've had a much tougher time with Seattle in the Finals, and a more intriguing series overall had the Sonics advanced to the Championship round

[@Sunny-jz3dy]

Who knows why they trade these guys! I mean.. I still don't understand why they traded DJ! Who trades their star player 1 year after he helps take them to the championship and win?!

[@warrenkarmun138]

🤔Even back then ,N.B.A. is a business,at least D.J. got one for the Sonics.😎

[@williamgreene7870]

Dennis Johnson the best

[@wrsawy]

Bird said DJ was the greatest player he ever played with. DJ was a tough player, I'm glad he ended his career in Boston, that 86 team was a great great basketball team, played the way it should be played.

[@krakenwoodfloorservicemcma5975]

When the game got close, DJ put the pedal to the metal.. absolute clutch player.

[@alainverse6126]

Underrated career .

[@leodrosia4369]

Mr clutch, dj. Steals, boards, blocks, great passes in biggest moments, celtic fan

[@Sunny-jz3dy]

That's why DJ and Bird really made the dynamic duo on the court!

[@peytonlong5573]

83-84 Celtics had Dennis Johnson fmvp in 79 Cedric Maxwell fmvp in 81 Larry Bird fmvp in 84 All under 30 with Henderson and Parish with McHale as the 6th man what a squad

[@fresh2def23231]

From Inglewood CA..rip Dj

[@JAWrightonline]

,Actually, he was from Compton. Went to Dominguez High School. The school has produced some outstanding defensive championship pro athletes: Dennis Johnson, Kenny Landreaux (center fielder-Dodgers), Tayshun Prince (Detroit Pistons-locked down Kobe in '04 NBA Finals), and Richard Sherman (DB-Seattle Seahawks-Legion of Boom).

[@tonygajate5780]

Dennis Johnson was a more athletic Walt Frazier, both were cerebral, defensive minded and had excellent mid range jumpers, clutch playoff championship players. I remember a DJ with hops as a Sonic with Sikma and Downtown Freddy Brown. DJ was special, fell in love with him in 1978 and Gus Williams used to light it up too.

[@davidclark8543]

All true & excellent comparison. DJ much more athletic & shot block extraordinare. But Clyde had better mid-range game & ball handling skills. DJ was often clutch in big games, but you never saw Frazier put up an 0-14 in a Game 7. I still loved DJ & Supes were never the same once he got shipped. I say you couldn't go wrong with either player! Period!

[@tonygajate5780]

@@davidclark8543 you are so, so right and I love that you mentioned the athletiscism of DJ because people remember the smart Boston DJ but not the ATHLETIC young shot blocking, penetrating Seattle DJ and about Clyde, remember the "willis reed" game, that was really the Walt Frazier game as he put up 37pts leading the Knicks to a victory off of Reeds emotional push. I feel sorry for us both that we have to watch 3 pt shooting contests that are considered "games" now. I watched highlights last night, guys running 3 on 2 breaks passing the ball for 25 ft jumpers....pathetic. thank God for KZbin as I just watch old games, have a good one. Hey and respect to Gus Williams who is NEVER EVER talked about, he was a winner, excellent guard.

[@davidclark8543]

@@tonygajate5780 I was a huge Sonics & Celtics fan 70s/80s & was tickled when DJ went to Boston. And sacrificed his game to be the lead distributor for the greatest frontline in league history! Yet had the green light as well. Luckily got to meet him once in '89 @ Seattle Center for a TBS national game Celtics vs SuperSonics

[@davidclark8543]

@@tonygajate5780 Cool!

[@davidclark8543]

@@tonygajate5780 Hondo was as significant to the Celtics mystique during his era as Bird was in the 1980's

[@wmden1]

He wasn't the main man, at Boston, but it is easy to see, here, why Bird called him the best player he had played with. I wish I could have watched him while he was with Seattle, but did see a lot of his play and skills, at Boston.. He was bad assed on offense and defense, and really had some hops, which I didn't realize the hops until watching this. A super competent and skilled player/ball handler who, kind of, took a back seat, for the good of the Celtics team.

[@jorgeluisrodrigues1322]

Yes, Seattle has a NBA championship!

[@123slasher.16]

People forget that prior to coming to Boston, he was what Russell Westbrook is today, an athletic 6-4 guard who could do it all.

[@tonygajate5780]

DJ was nowhere near as athletic as Westbrook, the real difference was that DJ had a brain. Westbrook can't lead a team out of a paper bag, Dennis Johnson was a finals MVP. Don't put Russell and Dennis Johnson in the same sentence

[@thomasbridges7323]

What a team they had then

[@dennis_johnson]

In a parallel universe...

[@arnoldgarzajr1164]

Damn i didnt know the Seattle Supersonics won a NBA championship.Thats cool tho To bad they became the Oklahoma City Thunder 😂 I had forgot that Oklahoma City even existed.Its a small to medium size city.Hopefully Seattle will get an expansion team in the future

[@thomasbridges7323]

My bad both team's real basketball

[@FJC464]

You ain't damn much now are you Mr Hayes?