Johnny High
{{Short description|American basketball player (1957–1987)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Johnny High
| image =
| width =
| caption =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 185
| birth_date = {{birth date|1957|04|25}}
| birth_place = Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1987|06|13|1957|04|25}}
| death_place = Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
| high_school = Jones Valley
(Birmingham, Alabama)
| college =
- Lawson State CC (1975–1977)
- Nevada (1977–1979)
| draft_year = 1979
| draft_round = 2
| draft_pick = 24
| draft_team = Phoenix Suns
| career_start = 1979
| career_end = 1986
| career_number = 12, 22, 11
| career_position = Point guard / shooting guard
| years1 = {{nbay|1979|start}}–{{nbay|1980|end}},
{{nbay|1982|start}}–{{nbay|1983|end}}
| team1 = Phoenix Suns
| years2 = 1984
| team2 = Wyoming Wildcatters
| years3 = 1984–1985
| team3 = Cincinnati Slammers
| years4 = 1985–1986
| team4 = Baltimore Lightning
| highlights =
| stats_league = NBA
| stat1label = Points
| stat1value = 1,396 (5.1 ppg)
| stat2label = Rebounds
| stat2value = 617 (1.9 rpg)
| stat3label = Assists
| stat3value = 525 (1.2 apg)
| bbr = highjo01
}}
Johnny Harold "Sky" High (April 25, 1957 – June 13, 1987) was an American professional basketball player. He played four seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Phoenix Suns.
Born in Birmingham, Alabama, High attended high school at Birmingham's Jones Valley High School. He went on to play college basketball at Lawson State Community College and University of Nevada and was selected by Phoenix in the second round of the 1979 NBA draft. As of February 2018, he is the last Nevada Wolf Pack player to achieve a triple double in a game. During an NBA game against Washington on January 28, 1981, High recorded nine steals.
In October 1981, High was traded to the Chicago Bulls for a third round draft pick.{{cite web |title=Former Phoenix Suns player Johnny High was killed early... |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/06/13/Former-Phoenix-Suns-player-Johnny-High-was-killed-early/9661550555200/ |website=UPI |access-date=August 31, 2023 |date=June 13, 1987}} He failed to make the Bulls roster and played in an industrial league during the 1981–82 season. High returned to the Suns in July 1982 and was waived in December 1983. He signed two 10-day contracts with the Suns in January 1984 that marked his final stint with the team. High played in the Continental Basketball Association for the Wyoming Wildcatters, Cincinnati Slammers and Baltimore Lightning from 1984 to 1986.{{cite web |title=Johnny High minor league basketball statistics |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbasketball/stats/p-highjoh001 |website=Stats Crew |access-date=August 31, 2023}}
In 1987, High testified before a Maricopa County grand jury that indicted 11 people – including five current and former Phoenix Suns players – on cocaine and drug charges.
High died in an early-morning automobile accident on June 13, 1987, in Phoenix, Arizona.[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE3D9113BF937A25755C0A961948260 Ex-Suns Player Dies After Crash] New York Times][https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE2DA1739F934A25755C0A961948260 SPORTS PEOPLE; Death of Key Witness] New York Times He was working as a shoe salesman in Phoenix at the time of his death.
See also
Notes
External links
{{basketball stats}}
- [http://thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1482 Player Profile] @ thedraftreview.com
{{1979 NBA draft}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:High, Johnny}}
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Baltimore Lightning players
Category:Basketball players from Birmingham, Alabama
Category:Cincinnati Slammers players
Category:Junior college men's basketball players in the United States
Category:Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball players
Category:Phoenix Suns draft picks
Category:Road incident deaths in Arizona
Category:Wyoming Wildcatters players
Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen
Category:20th-century American sportsmen
{{1950s-US-basketball-bio-stub}}