DFW Hardwood Legends Spotlight VOL1: #1 Overall NBA Draft Picks From The DFW Metroplex
The SportsInfluencer's DFW Hardwood Legends Report continues as we feature some former #1 overall Draft picks from the Dallas area. You can't talk about the rich history of DFW Basketball without mentioning these two former local High School stars.
Larry Johnson (1992)
Raised in South Dallas and graduated from Dallas Skyline HS where he was a 1987ย McDonald's All-American under Head Coach JD Mayo.Johnson originally made a verbal commitment toย Southern Methodist University, but began his collegiate career atย Odessa Collegeย in Texas. He played in the 1987โ88 and 1988โ89 seasons where he averaged 22.3 points per game as a freshman and over 29 points per game his sophomore year, and became the firstโand to this day, onlyโplayer ever to win theย National Junior College Athletic Associationย Division 1 Player of the Year award both years he played. There were even some basketball analysts who believed Johnson could have been a first round selection in theย 1989 NBA draftย if he had declared for early entry.
LJ went on to star on one of the greatest teams in college basketball history, the UNLV Runnin Rebels, where he appeared in Back2Back Final Fours and won the National Player of The Year Award
Johnson was selected first overall in theย 1991 NBA draftย by theย Charlotte Hornets, and won theย NBA Rookie of the Year Awardย in his first season.
In 1993, Johnson was voted to start inย that year's All-Star Game, making him the first Hornet in franchise history to receive that honor; During this time, Johnson, was the Converse poster boy with a popular series of commercials featuring Larry as "Grandmama"
In 1993, Johnson signed what was at the time the most lucrative contract in NBA history, a 12-year, $84ย million deal with the Hornets.
Top 10 career plays
https://youtu.be/-yYgcV0iOmw
UNLV Highlights
Career Accomplishments
โข 2รย NBA All-Starย (1993,ย 1995)
โข All-NBA Second Teamย (1993)
โข NBA Rookie of the Yearย (1992)
โข NBA All-Rookie First Teamย (1992)
โข NCAA championย (1990)
โข Naismith College Player of the Yearย (1991)
โข John R. Wooden Awardย (1991)
โข USBWA Player of the Yearย (1991)
โข NABC Player of the Yearย (1991)
โข Sporting Newsย College Player of the Yearย (1991)
โข 2ร Consensus first-teamย All-Americanย (1990,ย 1991)
โข 2รย Big West Player of the Yearย (1990, 1991)
โข 2x First-team All-Big Westย (1990, 1991)
โข No. 4ย retired by UNLV Runnin' Rebels
โข 2xย NJCAAย Division I Player of the Year (1988, 1989)
โข USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Yearย (1989)
โข Mr. Basketball USAย (1987)
โข McDonald's High School All Americanย (1987)
โข First-teamย Paradeย All-Americanย (1987)
Career NBA statistics
Points 11,450 (16.2 ppg)
Rebounds 5,300 (7.5 rpg)
Assists 2,298 (3.3 apg)
Kenyon Martin (2000)
Martin, raised in Oak Cliff and graduated from Dallas ISD's Bryan Adams HS where he was an All-State performer and one of the most dominant players in Texas. He went on to theย University of Cincinnati where he played for head coachย Bob Huggins where he was the consensus National Player of the Year, earning numerous awards from various organizations, and the team was ranked #1 in the nation at the conclusion of the regular season. Martin suffered a broken leg three minutes into the Bearcats' first game of theย Conferenceย Tournament, keeping him out of theย NCAA Tournamentย that year. Later that year, he was selected first overall in theย 2000 NBA draftย by theย New Jersey Nets, the last American born college senior to be drafted #1 overall to date. Martin remains the Bearcats' all-time leader in career blocked shots and field goal percentage and his #4 jersey was retired in 2000.
As the top draft pick, he went on to be named to theย NBA All-Rookie First Teamย and finished second in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting.
Played in 2 NBA Finals as a starter and was a 2004 NBA All-Star.
Over the course of his 15-year NBA career, Martin was very active and visible in his hometown of Dallas as well as New Jersey and Denver through his work with The Kenyon Martin Foundation.
Martin's son,ย Kenyon Martin Jr., a highly recruited 2019 HS prospect, elected not to go to college and spent his HS postgraduate year preparing for a professional career. He was selected 52nd overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by theย Sacramento Kings.
Career Highlights and Awards
โข NBA All-Starย (2004)
โข NBA All-Rookie First Teamย (2001)
โข Consensusย National College Player of the Yearย (2000)
โข Consensus first-teamย All-Americanย (2000)
โข NABC Defensive Player of the Yearย (2000)
โข Conference USA Player of the Yearย (2000)
โข 2ร First-team All-Conference USAย (1999,ย 2000)
โข No. 4ย retired by Cincinnati Bearcats
Career statistics
Points 9,325 (12.3 ppg)
Rebounds 5,159 (6.8 rpg)
Assists 1,439 (1.9apg)
NBA highlights
Cincinnati Highlights
-Sources: Wikipedia, University of Cincinnati Men's Basketball, University of Nevada-Las Vegas Men's Basketball, National Basketball Association