Every NBA team’s greatest enforcer of all time
By Luke Anton
Charlotte Hornets — Larry Johnson
For those unfamiliar with Larry Johnson’s Converse commercials back in the 90s, it might be difficult to believe that a player with the nickname Grandmama was an enforcer. But Grandmama was the man. A brick house standing at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, Johnson was built more like a linebacker than a power forward.
A former boxer, Johnson’s tenaciousness and explosiveness were the biggest part of his game. If you ever got in a pinch, L.J. could make something out of nothing. He helped put a new franchise on the map, becoming the first Hornet to ever make the All-Star team in just his second season. His ruggedness caught the eye of the Knicks, who traded fellow enforcer Anthony Mason for Johnson in 1996. Johnson would conclude his playing days on the Knicks, who were known for their exceptionally brazen style of basketball that L.J. fit so well.