Dennis Johnson, former Celtic, dead at 52

It's a sad day for longtime fans of the Boston Celtics. Back in the day, when myself and another close friend followed the Celtics daily, we would always talk about the play of DJ. He was a vital part of arguably the greatest starting five in NBA history, (Bird, McHale, Chief and Danny) along with the best sixth man, Bill Walton on that 1986 NBA Championship team.


AUSTIN, Texas (AP/ESPN.com)-- Former NBA star Dennis Johnson (1954-2007) died today, the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office said. He was 52.
Johnson, who was part of three NBA champions, two with the Boston Celtics and one with the Seattle SuperSonics, had been coaching the Austin Toros of the NBA Developmental League.
The cause of death is not known.
"He will be autopsied," said Mayra Freeman, a spokeswoman for the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office.
Johnson was the MVP of the 1979 NBA Finals, averaging 22.6 points as the Sonics beat the Washington Bullets in five games.
After a brief stint with the Phoenix Suns, Johnson joined the Celtics, where he teamed with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge and Robert Parish for a glorious run in the 1980s that saw Boston win the 1984 and 1986 NBA championships.
Known throughout the league as "DJ," Johnson played in five NBA All-Star Games and was named to the All-Defensive First Team six times.
In 14 NBA seasons, he scored 15,535 points (a 14.1 points-per-game average) and averaged 17.3 points in 180 playoff games.

2/23 update: AUSTIN, Texas (AP)- A public memorial service for Dennis Johnson will be held Sunday in Austin before the former NBA star is buried March 2 in Los Angeles.
Johnson, part of three NBA championship teams with Seattle and Boston, died Thursday after collapsing following a practice with the Austin Toros, the NBA development league team Johnson coached. He was 52.
The Travis County Medical Examiner's Office said autopsy and toxicology reports won't be released for several weeks.
In a statement posted on the Toros' Web site, a public memorial will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday at the David Chapel Baptist Church. The Toros said they will later release further details about Johnson's private service and burial in Los Angeles.