MaxPreps
MaxPreps.com

Kevin Johnson leads 30th class of National High School Hall of Fame inductees

March 2, 2012 by MaxPreps, AZPreps365


File photo by David Steutel

Kevin Johnson supporting his alma mater during the 2008 state championships at ARCO Arena.

Kevin Johnson has had a week to remember and cherish.

The Mayor of Sacramento was the driving force behind the state capital getting a year to find a way to present a term sheet to fund a new arena, and after 11 months of chaos and stress, it was approved by the NBA over the All-Star weekend, ensuring the Kings remain put for at least 30 years.

On Thursday, the former NBA All-Star guard learned that he will be inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame in July in Nashville, cementing his legacy from his Sacramento (Calif.) days in Oak Park in the early 1980s.

Johnson was an explosive, impossible-to-keep-up-with point guard for the Dragons in 1983 when he led the state in scoring at 34.2 points per game. His coach then, Ron McKenna, said Johnson remains the quickest baseline-to-baseline player he has ever seen.

Johnson was such an intrigue talent and draw that the spacious Dave Hotell Pavilion on the oldest campus west of the Mississippi would be full on both sides and on both upper decks.

Johnson's jersey No. 11 is retired in the old gym. He was also a terrific baseball player as an infielder or outfielder, a leadoff terror who batted .500 as a senior and was drafted by the Oakland A's Johnson was a four-year starter at Cal and played baseball in the A's minor league system one summer.

He set Cal assists and steals record, rejuvenated the Bears and played 13 NBA seasons, earning six All-Star nods.

Johnson has been the Sacramento Mayor since 2008. A year ago at this time, Johnson had mixed emotions as he watched his beloved alma mater win Sac-Joaquin Section championships at Power Balance Pavilion - proud of the teams and gravely concerned the Kings were about to relocate, also resulting in Power Balance going dark.

A year later, the man known as KJ has an extra bounce in his step.

He said Thursday night, "it's a great honor to be going into that Hall of Fame."

Other NBA players from the Sacramento region over the years include Jim Eakins of Encina Prep, who was a state player of the year in 1965 and played in the ABA and NBA; Bill Cartwright of Elk Grove, who led the state in scoring in 1975 and won three NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls; James Donaldson of Burbank (Sacramento) in 1976, who went on to play for the Dallas Mavericks; Matt Barnes of Del Campo (Fair Oaks), now with the Lakers and Ryan Anderson of Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills), now with the Orlando Magic.

Other inductees into this year's class of the National High School Hall of Fame are three more athletes, four coaches, two officials and one speech coach. All will be inducted July 11 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.

This is the 30th class.

The other athletes

Fred Hoiberg – Played 10 years in the NBA and was a four-year starter at Iowa State, where he now coaches. At Ames (Iowa), he led the team to a 1991 state championship, averaged 29.8 points per game and was named Mr. Basketball. He also starred in football and track.

Pat Sullivan – The top football player in Alabama his junior and senior years for Carroll Catholic (Birmingham, Ala.), Sullivan went on to win the Heisman Trophy for Auburn in 1971 before playing seven seasons in the NFL. He was also a two-time All-State basketball player in high school and a baseball standout.

Tracy Hill – She scored 2,934 points in four seasons (1980-83) at Ridgway (Colo.) and remains the top scorer in state history. She averaged 38.7 points as a junior and 44.6 as a senior, all before the 3-point shot. She starred in college and in Australia and then coached Nucla (Colo.) to a 1998 state title.

Coaches

Ron Bradley - He finished with 1,372 wins over 49 seasons coaching boys and girls basketball in Georgia. He had 1,019 in boys basketball – eighth most nationally all-time – and won three state crowns. He also coached football and baseball. His longest stints were at Newton (Covington, Ga.) and Walton Academy (Monroe, Ga.).

Ron Harman – He won eight state swimming championships in Beaverton, Ore. and piled up a 278-76 dual-meet record. He coached 36 years at Beaverton (Ore.), 10 years at Aloha (Beaverton) and the past eight at Southridge (Beaverton).

Larry Luitjens – In 41 years as a head basketball coach – 40 in South Dakota, he piled up a record of 704-283. Most of his duties have been at Custer. He's won seven state titles and finished second five times.

Catherine Neely – She recently completed her 47th season as volleyball coach at East Ridge (Chattanooga, Tenn.), piling up a record of 1,371-628. She's won 16 sectional and two state titles. She also coached 43 basketball seasons, compiling a 625-364 mark.

Officials

Truman Owens – He officiated 858 football games during his 50-year career in South Carolina, including 32 state title games. In basketball, he worked 2,900 games, including 23 state championships. He also officiated baseball games for 46 years and softball for 23 seasons. His brother Sam Owens was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame in 1999.

Robert "Bob" White – He officiated soccer in the Maine for 31 years, including 17 state championships.

Administrator

Bob Kanaby – He retired as the NFHS executive director in May of 2010 after an outstanding 17-year career. Prior to that he held the same post for the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association for 13 years.

Performing artist

Jan Heiteen – She served as head speech coach and drama director at Downers Grove South (Downers Grove, Ill.) for 32 years, and led her team to 14 state championships in speech. She also coached 70 state individual champions.

Senior writer Mitch Stephens contributed to this report.