Eddie Johnson, a former two-time All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks, has died. He was 65.
Johnson was serving a life a sentence in Florida for sexual assault of an 8-year-old girl. The prison hasn’t disclosed the cause of death but Rocker-Cusack Mortuary in Leesburg, Fla., posted a listing Tuesday that says Johnson died on Oct. 26.
Johnson was known as “Fast Eddie” during a 10-year-playing career that ended in 1987 when he received a lifetime ban from the NBA due to cocaine use.
Johnson averaged 15.1 points and 5.1 assists in 675 NBA games. The Auburn product played in the 1980 and 1981 All-Star Games as a member of the Hawks.
He played 8 1/2 seasons with Atlanta before also playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Seattle SuperSonics.
Johnson was repeatedly in trouble after his NBA career ended and was eventually arrested in 2006 for the sexual battery of a minor under 12. He was sentence to life in prison in 2008.
–Field Level Media
