March 4, 2021 // Posted In Alumni, Athletics
The stories of “boom to bust” for college and pro athletes after their playing careers end are legion.
Vinnie Johnson, Baylor Class of 1980, is not one of those.
Johnson a two-time all-American at Baylor, one of the greatest sixth men in NBA history, and our pick as the greatest Baylor alum in NBA history has found even more success in the business world after his retirement from professional basketball.
The Brooklyn native first came to Waco to play for nearby McLennan Community College in 1975, transferring to Baylor two years later and posting two of the all-time great scoring efforts in Baylor men’s basketball history. Johnson left Baylor as both the single-season (25.2) and career (24.1) record-holder for points-per-game both records that stand to this day.
Black-owned auto manufacturer makes parts for Honda at Marion plant
In the 1980s, Vinnie Johnson was at the top of his game as the sixth man for the Detroit Pistons. The Microwave, along with star players Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars, were part of the Bad Boys era of the franchise, with Johnson making the winning shot in the 1990 NBA finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, scoring Detroit’s second straight NBA title.
Taking his basketball roots with him, Johnson is now the CEO of Piston Group, one of the largest private, minority-owned automotive suppliers in North America.
Johnson founded the company in 1995 and became a supplier for large automotive companies like General Motors and Ford.