Hall of Fame Boston Celtics point guard Dennis Johnson made a name for himself as a defensive menace long before he got to the Celtics, earning nine berths on an All-Defensive team over the course of his 14 seasons in the NBA.
Though he won the bulk of his three titles in Boston, it was a Celtics connection that the San Pedro, California, native credited as providing the foundation for that championship-caliber defense: Hall of Fame Boston big man legend Bill Russell, who was his head coach with the (then) Seattle SuperSonics (now, Oklahoma City Thunder), his first team in the league.
