8 Best undrafted talents to play for the Golden State Warriors
By Tyler Watts
3. Avery Johnson
Johnson helped St. Augustine win the Louisiana 4A state championship during his senior year of high school, but the 5’10 point guard still went to a junior college before finally landing at Southern University. During his senior year there, Johnson led the NCAA with 13.3 assists per game and became the first player to average a points and assists double-double for an entire season. Despite the history, he went undrafted in 1988 before signing on with the Seattle SuperSonics as a free agent.
Johnson again had to fight his way onto the court. He was a third-string point guard in Seattle as a rookie, but he slowly worked his way into a larger role. The 5’10 point guard was traded to Denver in 1990 for a second-round pick but waived two months later. The Spurs snatched him but waived him less than one year later.
Johnson was barely hanging on in the NBA when San Antonio reacquired him in 1992. He had played for four different teams in four years, but the Spurs were offering a consistent role. The 27-year-old seized it by averaging 8.7 points, 7.5 assists, and 1.1 steals in 27.1 minutes per game.
After his breakout, Johnson spent one season with the Golden State Warriors where he helped them get back to the playoffs. Johnson started 70 of his 82 games played and averaged 10.9 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.4 steals in 28.4 minutes per game.
Avery Johnson returned to San Antonio after that season and spent the next six years as the Spurs starting point guard. He helped them win the championship in 1999 and will forever go down as one of the greatest undrafted players of all time.