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Arnie Johnson

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Arnie Johnson
Johnson with the Rochester Royals in 1948
Personal information
Born(1920-05-16)May 16, 1920
Gonvick, Minnesota
DiedJune 6, 2000(2000-06-06) (aged 80)
Rochester, New York
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight236 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High schoolGonvick (Gonvick, Minnesota)
CollegeBemidji State (1938–1942)
Playing career1946–1953
PositionSmall forward
Number17, 12
Career history
1946–1953Rochester Royals
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points2,888
Rebounds1,272
Assists731
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference

Arnitz L. Johnson (May 16, 1920 – June 6, 2000) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the Rochester Royals of the National Basketball League (NBL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1946 to 1953. Johnson is the only basketball player from Bemidji State to play in the NBA.[1]

Early life and college career

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Johnson was born on May 16, 1920, in Gonvick, Minnesota. His father was an immigrant from Sweden. Johnson attended Gonvick High School, where he served as a captain on the basketball team and was a four-time letterwinner.[1]

Johnson played college basketball for the Bemidji State Beavers (then Bemidji Teachers). He led the team to three consecutive Northern Teachers College Conference championships that led to berths in the NAIA Men's Basketball Championships.[1]

Johnson served at Buckley Air Force Base during World War II and helped wounded soldiers during their rehabilitation.[1]

Professional career

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In 1946, Johnson was playing at an Amateur Athletic Union tournament in Denver when he was spotted by Chuck Taylor, who told Rochester Royals coach and owner Les Harrison about Johnson.[1] Harrison sent Johnson money to travel for a tryout with the team.[1] Johnson played seven seasons (1946–1953) in the National Basketball League[2] and National Basketball Association as a member of the Rochester Royals. He averaged 8.7 points and 6.2 rebounds in his career and won a league championship in 1951.

In 2003, Monroe Community College in New York established the Arnold L. Johnson Endowed Memorial Scholarship for student athletes.[3]

BAA/NBA career statistics

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Legend
  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
 †  Won an NBA championship

Regular season

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Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1948–49 Rochester 60 – .416 .701 – 1.3 8.5
1949–50 Rochester 68 – .396 .680 – 2.1 7.3
1950–51† Rochester 68 – .459 .725 6.6 2.6 9.4
1951–52 Rochester 66 32.7 .433 .778 6.1 2.8 10.0
1952–53 Rochester 70 28.3 .379 .748 6.0 2.2 8.3
Career 332 30.5 .418 .731 6.2 2.2 8.7

Playoffs

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Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1949 Rochester 4 – .268 .727 – 1.8 9.5
1950 Rochester 2 – .500 .667 – 2.5 10.0
1951† Rochester 14 – .449 .782 9.0 2.9 11.2
1952 Rochester 6 27.7 .296 .719 5.2 4.0 6.5
1953 Rochester 3 29.0 .286 .762 6.0 2.0 8.0
Career 29 28.1 .383 .752 7.6 2.8 9.6

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Friez, Micah (December 30, 2018). "Unrivaled Royalty: Arnie Johnson, former Rochester Royal, still reigns as only BSU Beaver in NBA history". The Bemidji Pioneer. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  2. ^ Official NBA Encyclopedia. Doubleday, 2000. pg. 566.
  3. ^ Monroe CC financial aid
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