Amir Johnson is a seasoned professional basketball player who has seen 13 seasons since his 2005 second-round match at the Detroit Pistons and is a member of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Along with the Pistons, he previously played for the Toronto Raptors and the Bolton Celtics and currently plays as a power forward cum center for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Amir Johnson Biography
His mother gave birth to him in Los Angeles, California on the actual day of May 1987 and he was named Amir Jalla Johnson. Johnson was gifted with rare athletic traits, both in physique and in the skills required to become a star. However, he did not find a place on a high school basketball team until he was two years old.
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The ’76 striker may have had a premonition of what the future held for him and probably discovered that a college education would not be part of it. He enrolled in several high schools, perhaps to make up for the time he would forego a college education and a college career.
He attended Pacific Hills and Narbonne High Schools in the first year but enrolled in Verbum Dei High School as a sophomore in 2002. In Verbum Dei he saw action on the court and enjoyed a solid opening season in high school basketball. Soon after, he set sail and transferred to Westchester High School. In his junior year, he missed the games because he was forced to drop out, but might as well have invested the time to improve his skills and prepare for a great graduation season.
In his senior year, he improved his game and earned himself a permanent place on the list of outstanding athletes in Westchester. He scored an average of 21 points, 15 rebounds, and eight block shots per game, leading the team to a national championship title and a national top-five finish. Amir Johnson, in turn, has received several mentions, including California’s Mr. Basketball 2005, a McDonald’s All-American, the Los Angeles Player of the Year award from the Los Angeles Times, and a performance at the 2005 Boys’ Game.
Amir Johnson has left his mark on the basketball team, so he is likely to be one of the top recruits. He was considered a four-star recruit and was ranked number 7 on the Power Forward and number 29 in the nation in 2005. As a result, he became a highly sought-after player. He signed up to play for the University of Louisville, but changed his mind and decided instead to give up college to pursue his athletic dreams.
NBA Career
He declared for the 2005 NBA Draft from high school and was eventually selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 56th. With his selection, he remains the last conscript to be selected from high school. During the four seasons he played for the Pistons, he was assigned to two NBA development leagues – the Fayetteville Patriots and the Sioux Falls Skyforce. However, in July 2007, he signed another $12 million three-year contract with the Pistons and became a valuable asset off the bench.
Johnson was sold to the Toronto Raptors on August 18, 2009, but again signed a five-year contract with them on July 8, 2010, for $34 million. He had a tremendous career with the Raptors and also increased in dominance and overall production. In addition, he had a career-best season in the 2012-2013 season, averaging 10 points per game and scoring a career-high of 32 points in a 106-94 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on December 8, 2013.
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Family Life, Affairs, Relationships
Over time, Johnson became a hybrid on the basketball court. He does a bit of everything and is celebrated for his culture of teamwork and respect. With a resume like this, he can fit into any team, and as such, the Boston Celtics signed him to a two-year, $24 million contract in July 2015. From 2015 to 2017, when he pitched his tent with the team, he played 159 games and scored four triple points in his career in a 107-100 win over the Chicago Bulls on November 2, 2016.
After 12 NBA seasons of experience and solid basket play, the 6’3″ and 240-pounder joined the Philadelphia 76ers after signing a one-year contract with them on July 8, 2017. During the NBA Awards 2018, he was presented with the NBA Hustle Award on June 25, 2018. One year after signing with the 76ers, Amir Johnson signed with the team again.
Amir was born the son of Anthony Johnson and Deneen Griffin. He grew up alongside his sister Indi, who is also athletic and played college basketball for the Southern University women’s basketball team. However, the duo is not the only athlete in the family. Their cousins, Kevin and Kaelin Burnett, both played as linebackers in the NFL.
The athletes are no strangers to affairs and sometimes multiple dating relationships. Amir Johnson may not have earned a reputation as a double-dating athlete like Lou Williams and Tristan Thompson, but he’s had his fair share of affairs.
He went out with model Alana Jung, who gave birth to his daughter Amelia in September 2013. Although he claimed that the almost two-year affair was just a casual sexual relationship, Jung says they had a little more during their court battle to increase child support payments in 2015.
The basketball veteran is currently dating Daria Marie Mitchell.
