Joe Johnson
The smooth scoring forward who defined a modern Hawks era.
Joe Johnson played for the Atlanta Hawks from 2005 to 2012, arriving via a sign-and-trade deal with the Phoenix Suns on August 19, 2005. In his first season, he led Atlanta in points (20.2 per game), assists (6.5), steals (1.26), three-point field goals made (128), and minutes (40.7). He was one of only five players in the league to average at least 20 points and six assists in the 2005–06 season. Johnson re-signed with the Hawks on July 8, 2010, to a six-year, $123.7 million contract, which at the time made him the NBA's highest-paid player.
- Position
- Small Forward / Shooting Guard
- Draft Year
- 2001
- Hawks Tenure
- 2005–2012
- Jersey Number
- 7
- Status
- Retired
- Honors
- NBA All-Star
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Joe Johnson was acquired by the Hawks in a sign-and-trade deal on August 19, 2005, with the Suns receiving Boris Diaw and two future first-round draft picks. In his first season, Johnson led Atlanta in several categories: points (20.2 per game), assists (6.5), steals (1.26), three-point field goals made (128), and minutes (40.7). He was one of only five players in the league to average at least 20 points and six assists in the 2005–06 season, along with Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Gilbert Arenas. Johnson was also the only Hawk to play in all 82 games in 2005–06. He scored a career-high 42 points on March 7, 2006, against the Golden State Warriors and recorded a career-high 17 assists on March 13, 2006, against the Milwaukee Bucks. He recorded his first career triple-double on February 1, 2006, with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists against the Charlotte Bobcats. In the 2006–07 season, he averaged 25.0 points, 4.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game, ranking ninth in the league in scoring. He was named to the 2007 Eastern Conference All-Star team, replacing the injured Jason Kidd. In 2008, Johnson made the All-Star Game as a reserve and was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month twice. He averaged 21.7 points per game, leading the Hawks to their first playoff appearance in nine years. In Game 4 of the Hawks' first-round matchup against the Boston Celtics, Johnson scored 35 points, including 20 in the 4th quarter, leading the Hawks to a 97–92 victory. The Hawks took the eventual NBA champion Celtics to Game 7. On December 23, 2008, Johnson registered his second career triple-double in a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. He eclipsed the 10,000-point plateau for his career on January 31, 2009, against the Milwaukee Bucks. On March 19, 2010, Johnson hit a game-winning buzzer beater in overtime against the Charlotte Bobcats. On July 8, 2010, he re-signed with the Hawks to a six-year, $123.7 million contract, which at the time made him the NBA's highest-paid player.
In Their Own Story
The Hawks were down, but Joe Johnson had the ball. It was March 19, 2010, against the Charlotte Bobcats, and the game had slipped into overtime. Johnson took the inbound pass, worked his way to his spot, and let the shot fly as the buzzer sounded. The ball went through the net—a game-winning buzzer beater. It was the kind of moment that defined his time in Atlanta. Earlier that season, on January 31, 2009, he had crossed the 10,000-point career mark with a bank shot assisted by Marvin Williams in a 110–107 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. And in the 2008 playoffs, with the Hawks facing the top-seeded Boston Celtics, Johnson poured in 35 points in Game 4, including 20 in the fourth quarter, to force a 97–92 win. That Hawks team, despite finishing with the worst record (37–45) among the playoff teams, pushed the eventual NBA champions to a Game 7, marking a turning point for the franchise.
Reader's Guide
Joe Johnson's tenure with the Atlanta Hawks ran from 2005 to 2012. He was acquired in a sign-and-trade deal with the Phoenix Suns on August 19, 2005, for Boris Diaw and two future first-round draft picks. In his first season, he led the team in points (20.2 per game), assists (6.5), steals (1.26), three-point field goals made (128), and minutes (40.7). He was one of only five players in the league to average at least 20 points and six assists that season. Johnson scored a career-high 42 points on March 7, 2006, against the Golden State Warriors and recorded a career-high 17 assists on March 13, 2006, against the Milwaukee Bucks. He recorded his first career triple-double on February 1, 2006, with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists against the Charlotte Bobcats. In the 2006–07 season, he averaged 25.0 points per game, ranking ninth in the league, and was named to the 2007 Eastern Conference All-Star team. He made the 2008 All-Star Game as a reserve and was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month twice. He led the Hawks to their first playoff appearance in nine years in 2008, averaging 21.7 points per game. In Game 4 of the first round against the Boston Celtics, he scored 35 points, including 20 in the 4th quarter. On December 23, 2008, he recorded his second career triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He hit a game-winning buzzer beater in overtime against the Charlotte Bobcats on March 19, 2010. On July 8, 2010, he re-signed with the Hawks to a six-year, $123.7 million contract, making him the NBA's highest-paid player at the time.
Did You Know?
- Joe Johnson was the only Hawk to play in all 82 games in the 2005–06 season.
- He scored a career-high 42 points on March 7, 2006, against the Golden State Warriors.
- He recorded a career-high 17 assists on March 13, 2006, against the Milwaukee Bucks.
- He hit a game-winning buzzer beater in overtime against the Charlotte Bobcats on March 19, 2010.
- On July 8, 2010, he re-signed with the Hawks to a six-year, $123.7 million contract, which at the time made him the NBA's highest-paid player.