During the 1999 NBA Finals , tensions flared not just on the court but also off it, thanks to Larry Johnson and, to some extent, Bill Walton.
The controversy began when 'Grandmama' claimed that his then-team, the Knicks , had "a lot of rebellious slaves" on their roster. Using such a charged term naturally raised eyebrows, prompting him to later clarify his statement.
"Listen, no one man can rise above the mass conditions of his people. I'm privileged and honored by the situation I'm in, no question. I have an excellent opportunity. And this is a beautiful country, the best country. But it's not holy, it's not righteous," remarked Johnson, per SFGATE.
Johnson's bold critique
Larry believed that the United States was "not holy" and "not righteous" during that time, primarily due to the pervasive issue of inequality. The Texas native found it troubling that while many focused on the then-brewing wars in Kosovo and Nigeria, discussions about this critical topic were largely absent from political discourse.
"The NBA is full of black players, and people say, 'Look, they have great opportunities, they've made incredible strides.' But when I go back to my neighborhood, I see the same thing. I'm the only one who came out of my neighborhood. Everybody I knew is either dead, on drugs, in jail, or selling drugs," said the former two-time All-Star.
Johnson, who earned over $10 million in NBA salary that year, addressed systemic racism against Black individuals in his statement. Still, not everyone appreciated his blunt approach, especially Walton. Like Larry, who had recently converted to Islam and become politically active, 'Big Red' had been involved in politics since his UCLA days in the '70s, protesting the Vietnam War at the time .
Related: "Y'all better trade me today" - Dominique Wilkins recalls his immediate reaction after being drafted by Utah Jazz in 1982
'Big Red' responded with harsh words
Walton , then working as an NBC sportscaster, lashed out after Game 4 of the Finals. He described Johnson's lackluster performance—just 5 points on 2-for-8 shooting—as "pathetic." Taking it a few steps further, the Hall of Famer called the Knicks forward a "sad human being" who "deserved" such a poor showing.
"I just know that Larry Johnson spent far too much time railing against humanity and practicing his posing rather than developing his game," concluded the 1978 MVP, per the NY Post.
Bill's sudden outrage stemmed from the idea that, as he put it, "The NBA has given all of us the greatest life anyone could possibly have." He didn't appreciate players seemingly taking on a victim role.
In response, 'Grandmama' fired back, telling the media to remind Walton to "trace his history and see how many slaves his ancestors had," while later also accusing the Trail Blazers icon of being a fake tough guy.
"For the longest time, Bill's been criticizing me on television," Larry said. "But when he sees me, he's shuffling and backing down. Bill, don't come at me like that."
Ultimately, the 1992 ROY did not fare too well from the whole ordeal. On the court, he battled injuries and was completely unable to contain the legendary Tim Duncan, who guided the Spurs to a 4-1 series victory. Off the court, Johnson's reluctance to address his controversial statements resulted in him missing several media sessions, which ultimately hurt his wallet.
Related: "He's smoking his cigar in the hospital" - When Red Auerbach took complete control from the doctors to pass Bill Walton in his medical exam
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