Avery Johnson
A championship-winning point guard known as 'The Little General,' he orchestrated victories from the court to the coach's clipboard.
Born 1965 (age 61)·American basketball player and coach·Birthday: March 25·Generation X
Biography
Avery Johnson’s career is a testament to the power of intellect over physical stature. Undrafted out of small-school Southern University, the 5'11" guard willed himself into the NBA through sheer determination, becoming a floor leader for six teams over a 16-year career. His defining moment came in 1999 with the San Antonio Spurs, hitting the championship-clinching jumper and earning his ring. That cerebral understanding of the game made his transition to coaching seem inevitable. He led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2006 and was named NBA Coach of the Year. Later, he took on the challenge of rebuilding programs at the college level, including at the University of Alabama. Whether with a clipboard or a microphone for CBS Sports, Johnson’s authoritative voice remains synonymous with basketball strategy.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Avery was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Avery Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Avery's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Hit the series-clinching shot to win the 1999 NBA Championship for the San Antonio Spurs.
- Named the NBA Coach of the Year in 2006 after leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 60-win season.
- Led the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA Finals appearance in 2006.
- Holds the NBA record for highest assists per game average in a single season for the Spurs (9.6 in 1995-96).
Did You Know?
He is the shortest player in NBA history to record 20 assists in a single game.
He wrote a children's book titled 'Yes I Can: The Story of the Little General.'
He was a contestant on the celebrity edition of the game show 'The Weakest Link.'
His nickname, 'The Little General,' was given to him by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.
“You have to have a little bit of a nasty attitude to be successful.”
