The Boston Celtics drafted Joe Johnson tenth overall in 2001, and nobody thought he would blossom into a 20,000-point scorer. There were eight All-Stars in this draft class, including Tony Parker, but only Pau Gasol scored more than Iso Joe. With Gasol and Parker already in the Hall of Fame, Johnson should be next, but he shockingly hasn’t received the recognition he deserves.
Johnson only played 49 games with the Celtics, but the seven-time All-Star was unstoppable in his prime. Boston traded him in 2002 as part of a five-player deal that brought Tony Delk and Rodney Rodgers to the Celtics. They brought Johnson back in 2021 for his final NBA game. He hadn’t played in the league since 2018, but the Cs needed bodies as the COVID pandemic impacted their roster. Johnson only played two minutes and made his only field goal attempt.
His time in Boston is a small part of a legendary career. Johnson played 18 seasons in the NBA and is 54th all-time in scoring. His lack of playoff success and just one All-NBA honor hurt his case, but the Basketball-Reference Hall of Fame tracker tells a different story.
Joe Johnson belongs in the Hall of Fame
According to Basketball-Reference, there are only three eligible players ahead of Johnson’s 50.56 probability who haven’t been enshrined in the Hall of Fame. LaMarcus Aldridge is eligible in 2026, and Blake Griffin in 2027 could join that list. The rest are Hall of Famers or active NBA players on pace to be enshrined.
Johnson has never even appeared on the ballot. He is in danger of being the next Larry Foust. The eight-time All-Star from the 1950s and 1960s has the highest probability to not be selected at 94.2.
Iso Joe averaged over 20 points per game for five straight years in his prime on solid efficiency. His teams reached the playoffs 13 times, but rarely made deep runs. Johnson played in two conference finals, but one was during his final postseason shot in 2018. The lack of team success, coupled with his failure to consistently make All-NBA team, has kept Johnson off the Hall of Fame ballot.
It undersells his longevity and peak. Johnson could be frustrating at times, but he’d drop 20 every night without anyone noticing. That is a special skill, and his story is made even crazier by sitting out three full seasons where he starred in the Big 3 before coming back for one final NBA bucket.
Hawks fans saw firsthand what prime Joe Johnson was like. He was making plays and getting buckets. The narrative about the lack of team success shouldn’t factor into his Hall of Fame case. Johnson never won a ring, but that doesn’t mean anyone could stop him.
Johnson bookended his career with the Boston Celtics. He went from late lottery pick to superstar during his NBA journey. Sadly, the Celtics just got the crusts of the loaf of bread that was Johnson’s playing days. Without Boston, Johnson may not have fully blossomed into a should-be Hall of Famer. Fans will never know, but that doesn’t change the fact that Johnson deserves the honor.