Marques Johnson
A soaring, graceful forward who defined Milwaukee Bucks basketball in the 80s with a style that was pure, explosive poetry.
Born 1956 (age 70)·American basketball player·Birthday: February 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
Before the term 'point forward' was commonplace, Marques Johnson was living it. Drafted third overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1977, the UCLA star brought a West Coast fluidity to the Midwest. At 6'7", he was a matchup nightmare, handling the ball like a guard, finishing at the rim with ferocious dunks, and possessing a smooth, if unorthodox, jumper. Under coach Don Nelson's innovative system, Johnson became the engine of some of the most entertaining teams of the era, leading the Bucks to multiple division titles. His peak was breathtaking—a five-time All-Star who finished second in MVP voting in 1979. A severe neck injury in 1987 curtailed his prime, but his influence endured. Johnson's game was a blueprint for the versatile wings that now dominate the NBA. Today, as a broadcaster for the Bucks, his voice connects the franchise's past to its present.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Marques was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Marques Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Marques's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
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
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Named a First-Team All-NBA selection in 1979 after averaging 25.6 points per game.
- Led the Milwaukee Bucks to seven consecutive playoff appearances from 1978 to 1984.
- Won the NBA's Comeback Player of the Year award in 1986 after returning from injury.
- His jersey number 8 was retired by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2019.
Did You Know?
He starred as himself in the iconic basketball film 'White Men Can't Jump'.
His son, Kris Johnson, also played professional basketball.
He was a member of UCLA's 1975 NCAA championship team under John Wooden.
He is an accomplished painter and has held exhibitions of his work.
“I brought the playground to the pros—handle, glide, and finish.”
