Posted on 08/11/2006 9:55:04 AM PDT by dead
Eddie Johnson is still getting over what he calls the worst day of his life.
He scratched his way out of the Cabrini-Green housing project in Chicago, fashioned a long, successful NBA career, turned that into an opportunity on TV and built a reputation as an all-around good guy who loves to work with kids. His worst scrape with the law involved a couple of traffic tickets.
Now he's dealing with a case of mistaken identity that shocked him and his friends and may have permanently sullied his reputation.
Eddie Johnson was mistaken in some media reports for another Eddie Johnson - a retired 10-year NBA player from Florida who was arrested Tuesday night and charged with sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl.
The Eddie Johnson who had nothing to do with that hideous accusation is a former Illinois star who went on to a 17-year career with the Kings, Suns, Rockets and other teams. But when some media reports about the alleged crime included his bio information and file photo linked on the Internet, his phone started ringing He is 6-foot-8, does color commentary on Suns telecasts during the season, gives motivational speeches and runs basketball clinics for youngsters. He has a DVD that teaches kids how to shoot the jumper. He retired from the NBA in 1999 and is 47.
Edward "Fast Eddie" Johnson, Jr. - the one being held in a Florida jail on sexual battery and burglary charges - is a 6-foot-2, two-time NBA All-Star who played most of his career in Atlanta. An Auburn alum, he retired in 1987 and is 51.
Eddie Johnson of Phoenix said his goal yesterday and for the next several days was to get the word out about who he really is - and isn't.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
WRONG GUY: Eddie Johnson, the former Illinois star who played for the Kings,
Suns and Rockets, doesn't want to be confused with the other Eddie Johnson, who
was arrested for sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl. Photo: AP
They media don't even pretend to care about accuracy anymore.
How many Eddie Johnson's in the world? The MSM can't fact check better than this?
With the common name of Eddie Johnson, the media should have included a middle initial or name. We hear that often -- James Earl Ray, Lee Harvey Oswald, William Jefferson Clinton, etc.
This Eddie ought to start using a middle initial.
Said he was cold, tired and hungry, came a beggin' for bread;
The lady took him and fed him breakfast in bed.
It wasnt me, Boss, it wasnt me, it wasnt me.
It must have been some other body, uh uh, Boss, it wasnt me.
You say you saw my car parked in the drive in one night;
Came over to speak to me, I was out of sight
I wasnt me, baby, uh uh, baby, it wasnt me
It must have been some other body, uh uh, Sarge, it wasnt me
Yes, a shrewd young whipper snapper love to run and play;
But the draft got him, they inducted him today
It wasnt me, Sarge, uh uh, Sarge, it wasnt me
It must have been some other body, uh uh, Sarge, it wasnt me
I met a German girl in England who was goin?to school in France
Said we dance in Mississippi at a Alpha Keppa dance
It wasnt me, Officer, no, Officer, it wasnt me
It must have been some other body, uh uh, Officer, it wasnt me
Wailing down the freeway, testing out the cruisin' power;
State trooper trailing, clocked him ninety miles per hour
It wasnt me, Sheriff; Uh huh, Sheriff, it wasnt me
Ah! It must have been some other body, uh uh, Sheriff, it wasnt me
Calling for brave young soldiers, needed on the front row;
Lieutenant said, Which one of y'all volunteer to go?
It wasnt me, Captain, uh uh, Captain, it wasnt me
It must have been some other body, uh uh, Captain, it wasnt me
Well 2 Eddie Johnson's that played for the NBA narrows it down. They should have did some research first though.
How many NBA players named Jason Williams?
Didn't this just happen when one of them got in trouble for killing a limo driver or some such thing? And one of them decided to go by Jay Williams?
He should have chaged his name to Rasheed Mustapha Johnson.......or Charles..........or Big..............
It is simply amazing how utterly incompetent journalists are. Do journalism schools simply suck the brains out of its graduates? In this day and age of literally instant verifiable information, how could any one but a complete moron do this?
And yet, this is the profession who gives editorials about everything under the sun with virtually no qualifications or understanding whatsoever of the subject matter. I get better guidance and intelligence from my labrador, Moses the Noses.
There are 3 Jason Williamses.
One, the guy that killed his limo driver and played for the Philidelphia 76ers.
Two, the former University of Florida Gator point guard, now with the Miami Heat.
Three, the former Duke point guard who was drafted number one by the Chicago Bulls, crashed his motorcycle and has never played in an NBA game. He is the one who changed to Jay Williams.
I'm just guessing ok, but probably what happened was they saw his name, thought they had a hot story and wanted to be the first to get it out.
At least three Jason Williams that I know of.
The former commentator on Inside the NBA who shot his limo driver. Jason Williams from the Kings/Memphis/Miami. And Jason Williams the former Bulls guard who ruined his career when he crashed his motorcycle.
Eddie Johnson sounds like a pretty common name. I would sue the wire services asses off.
Ah.. u beat me to it.
Heck, I thought there was only one Eddie Johnson all this time. And I was an NBA season ticket holder for 9 years in the 90s!
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