NBA Great Takes Blame In Painful Upset Loss In 1991 NCAA Final Four

1993; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; FILE PHOTO; Duke University guard Bobby Hurley (11) in action against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at LJVM Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images / RVR Photos-Imagn Images

Thirty-four years later, the pain is still evident in Larry Johnson’s voice when he recalls one of the greatest upsets in the history of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

“I say it all the time…I lost the game,” Johnson said of UNLV’s 79-77 loss to Duke in the Final Four of the 1991 NCAA Tournament.

The 10-year NBA veteran expressed his disappointment during a recent appearance on the All The Smoke podcast hosted by former NBA players Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes.

Though Johnson, now 56, has previously blamed himself for the stunning defeat, he went into further detail with Jackson and Barnes on why he continues to accept responsibility for a low-point in his career.

“I didn’t play hard,” Johnson admitted. “I was out there lolly-gagging, thinking we’re playing a team we beat by 30 the year before. I was thinking about the league (NBA). It was close the whole game, but I was only giving 70-80 percent. Being the No. 1 player in college that year, I lost the game.”

UNLV entered the 1991 Final Four semifinal against Duke in Indianapolis with a 34-0 record and was everybody’s choice to go undefeated en route to a second straight national championship. 

Johnson was one of four starters back from the 1990 UNLV team that routed Duke 103-73 in the title game. The other three were Greg Anthony, Stacey Augmon and Anderson Hunt. UNLV was a heavy favorite to beat Duke again in the Final Four semifinals.

Johnson’s stats reflected his nonchalant approach to the game. He played 39 minutes and had 13 rebounds, but he was only 5 for 10 from the floor and finished with 13 points. Before the Duke rematch, Johnson was averaging 22.7 points and 13.3 shot attempts.

The lack of shot attempts ended up being a crucial issue for Johnson, who had the ball in his hands on UNLV’s final possession with 12 seconds left in the game. Johnson appeared to be in position to put up a quality shot with Christian Laettner defending, but he passed the ball to Hunt. Hunt missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer.

“At the end, should I have shot the ball?,” Johnson asked while talking with Jackson and Barnes. “Absolutely. I should have shot it. I choked.”

Johnson’s subpar performance against Duke didn’t affect him in the NBA draft. He was still the No. 1 overall pick in the 1991 draft by the Charlotte Hornets. Johnson became a premier power forward in the NBA during his five years with the Hornets and five more with the New York Knicks.

Ray Richardson is a contributor to Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at rayrich55@gmail.com

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