Dennis Johnson, the star NBA guard who was part of three championship teams, died Thursday after collapsing at the end of practice... He was 52.
Johnson, coach of the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League, died at a hospital, D-League spokesman Kent Partridge said. Mayra Freeman, a spokeswoman for the Travis County medical examiner's office, said there will be autopsy.
Johnson, a five-time All-Star and one of the great defensive guards, played 14 seasons and retired after the 1989-90 season. He played on title teams with the Boston Celtics in 1984 and 1986 and with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979 when he was the NBA finals MVP.
In 1984 finals, Johnson guarded Magic Johnson effectively in the last four games. In 1985, he hit a last-second jumper against Los Angeles that won the fifth game. In 1986, he was part of a team that featured four Hall of Famers -- Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Bill Walton.
Johnson was a tough player with a reputation for delivering in big games.
"I hate to lose," he once said. "I accept it when it comes, but I still hate it. That's the way I am."
He averaged 14.1 points and 5.0 assists. When he retired, he was the 11th player in NBA history to total 15,000 points and 5,000 assists. Johnson made one all-NBA first team and one second team. Six times he made the all-defensive first team, including five consecutive seasons (1979-83).
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