Ollie Johnson

One collector is trying to find a single signature from every man who ever played for the Jazz — all 370 of them, from the 1974 New Orleans team to today. For many of them, this page is the only one on the internet. Here is Ollie Johnson: what he did on the floor, a few things most people never knew, and every card that carries his name. If you have a better example of his signature, or a story about it, the note at the foot of this page still stands.

Temple produced this 6-foot-6 forward who carved out a full decade in the NBA, from 1972 to 1982, suiting up for Portland, the New Orleans Jazz, Kansas City, Atlanta, Chicago, and Philadelphia while averaging 7.7 points for his career. His Jazz season came in 1974-75, the franchise's very first year.

Johnson's second act stayed close to home and to sport: he became director of athletics at the Community College of Philadelphia, a post he held until his retirement in 2011.

HOW HE CAME & WENTThe Jazz took him from Portland in the 1974 expansion draft, and traded him with Rick Adelman to Kansas City for Nate Williams in February 1975.

New Orleans Jazz tenure

1974–75

Position

Forward

Born

1949, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Height

6′6″ (198 cm)

Weight

201 lb (91 kg)

College

Temple

Drafted

1972, 2nd round (No. 30), Portland