YouTube Gold: Larry Johnson

Some guys never fully get the respect they deserve. Take Larry Johnson. At 6-7 and 250, the former UNLV and NBA star was a tremendous basketball player who presented all kinds of problems for opponents.

In college, he led UNLV to the 1990 championship, including a smashing 30-point win over Duke in the finals.

The following year, the teams met again in the Final Four, this time in the semis. UNLV was undefeated at 34-0 and Duke pulled off a stunner, 79-77.

In the NBA, Johnson started with the Charlotte Hornets where he briefly teamed up with Alonzo Mourning and Muggsy Bogues for an incredibly charismatic young team.

Later he played with the New York Knicks.

He was a brilliant talent, something like Charles Barkley and Zion Williamson in that he was an undersized but potent power forward.

Sadly, Like Larry Bird and Brad Daugherty, back problems ended his career too soon.