Avery Johnson's Motivational Testimony

Avery Johnson is one of the more inspirational stories in NBA history. Standing 5'10, Johnson's toughness and leadership earned the Lousiana native the nickname The Little General. As a "short" person in the NBA, to have played for 16 seasons is a testament to Johnson's intelligence, work ethic, and grit.

Before the San Antonio Spurs won the 1999 championship against the New York Knicks in the lockout season, Johnson shared what brought him to tears and instilled motivation in the veteran point guard.

Johnson talked about beating the Houston Rockets six times in the 1994-95 season. Before the NBA expanded to 30 teams, the league had to schedule more games between division rivals. However, despite sweeping the Rockets in the regular season, they lost 4-2 in the Western Conference Finals, which brought Johnson to tears.

"I cried so much you could fill a bathtub with my tears," Johnson claimed.

Johnson said one of the role players on the Spurs told him to "stop that damn crying; it's not that important."

Johnson stated that losing the game was vital to him, as he didn't know the Spurs would have another chance at making it to the Conference Finals again. The Rockets eventually won the NBA Finals following the elimination of the Spurs.

However, Johnson made it even further in the playoffs, as in 1999 when the Spurs won the NBA Finals vs. the Knicks. Avery Johnson had a game-winning shot in Madison Square Garden. Johnson's passion for the game and disdain for losing drove him to such a feat.

Following the 1995 playoffs, in which his teammate seemingly didn't care enough about losing to the Rockets, Johnson was asked who the Spurs should add to the team.

"In the offseason, they (Spurs) asked me about players we need to add to the roster. I told them I don't know who we need to add, but I know we need to delete one. He and I don't have the same DNA because I want it bad."

Watch the video here .