Education
Johnston attended Ohio State University, where he starred in baseball and basketball.
baseball player coach basketball player
Johnston attended Ohio State University, where he starred in baseball and basketball.
Johnston was a 1946 graduate of Chillicothe High School in Chillicothe, Ohio, where he was an all-state selection in basketball. Johnston signed a professional baseball contract with the Philadelphia Phillies out of college and pitched two-and-a-half years for the Terre Haute Phillies of the Three-I League. With a 3–9 record halfway through his third losing season in 1951, Johnston decided to give pro basketball a try.
With the assistance of his manager, Jim Ward, he tried out for the Philadelphia Warriors at the team camp in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Johnston led the National Basketball Association in scoring for three consecutive seasons: 1952-1953, 1953-1954, and 1954-1955. He led the league in minutes played in the 1952-1953 season, 1953-1954 season and in field goal percentage in the 1952-1953 and 1955-1956 season and 1956-1957 season.
He led the National Basketball Association in Win Shares for five consecutive seasons. Johnston played his entire career with the Philadelphia Warriors, playing on their championship team in 1956.
He played in six National Basketball Association All-Star Games, was an All-National Basketball Association First Team selection four times, and was an All-National Basketball Association Second Team selection once.
During his career, the 6-foot, 8-inch Johnston was well known for his sweeping right-handed hook shot. Johnston was forced to retire after a serious knee injury in the 1958-1959 season. During his eight-year career, he averaged 19.4 points per game, 11.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists, with a field goal percentage of.444 and a free throw percentage of.768.
After his playing career, Johnston coached the Warriors to a 95–59 record for the first two seasons of Wilt Chamberlain"s National Basketball Association career.
He also worked as an assistant coach at Wake Forest University under Jack McCloskey. In addition, Johnston coached the Pittsburgh Rens and Connie Hawkins of the American Basketball League.
He also coached the Wilmington Blue Bombers of the Eastern Basketball League. In 1972, he was an assistant coach with the Portland Trailblazers.
His last job was as athletic director at North Lake College in Irving, Texas.
On September 28, 1978, Johnston died of a heart attack at age 49 while playing basketball in Bedford, Texas. In 1980, Johnston was inducted posthumously into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. In 1990, he was enshrined posthumously into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.
In 2005, he was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.