DerMarr Miles Johnson (born May 5 1980, in Washington, D.C.) is an American basketball player known for his stint on NBA.
Johnson was a consensus McDonald's, Parade Magazine and USA Today high school All-American as well as Parade's National High School Player of the Year as a senior in 1999. After attending the University of Cincinnati with future NBA players Kenyon Martin, Kenny Satterfield, and draftee Steve Logan, he was selected sixth overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2000 NBA Draft. In two seasons with the team he averaged 6.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. On September 13, 2002, Johnson crashed his blue Mercedes-Benz S600 into a tree and broke his neck, nearly causing paralysis. He was subsequently sidelined for the entire 2002-03 NBA season, and questions surfaced regarding him ever playing again. Johnson's miraculous return to the league began in October 2003 when he signed with the Phoenix Suns only to be waived two weeks later without ever having played a game for them. He then moved on to the American Basketball Association's Long Beach Jam where he played 19 games, before rejoining the NBA, signing a contract with the New York Knicks. The following season, in 2004-05, Johnson rejuvenated his career with the Denver Nuggets, participating in 71 games, and averaging 7.1 points on 49.9 percent field goal shooting. During the 05-06 and 06-07 seasons, Johnson averaged 5 points on 40 percent shooting in 97 games.
Johnson reportedly signed with Italian team Pallacanestro Treviso in August of 2007 , but quickly jumped back to the NBA Developmental League's San Antonio affiliate Austin Toros. Johnson averaged 15.8 points and 6 rebounds in 10 games with the Toros. On December 29 he signed with said San Antonio Spurs after they waived rarely used rookie swing man Marcus Williams. blank">Spurs add journeyman guard Johnson, waive rookie Williams But on January 7,2008, Johnson was released from _San Antonio Spurs.
Due to his high draft position and subsequent lack of productivity at the pro level, Johnson is often labeled as a bust.
