9 Sept 2026
Ep. 71 – Marques Johnson on The Crenshaw Chronicles, Ice-T and Don Nelson
2026 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finalist, author, actor, and Emmy-winning broadcaster Marques Johnson is a five-time NBA All-Star, First Team All-NBA selection, and one of the greatest players in Milwaukee Bucks history. In The Crenshaw Chronicles, Marques turns his attention to the formative institution that helped shape his own trajectory: Crenshaw High School in South Central Los Angeles. Under legendary basketball coach Willie West—who compiled more than 800 victories at Crenshaw while winning eight state titles, 16 Los Angeles City Section titles, and 28 league championships—Marques became the 1973 Los Angeles City Player of the Year and helped establish a tradition that would influence generations of athletes to follow. Through conversations with notable Crenshaw alumni spanning sports, music, entertainment, business, and civic life, The Crenshaw Chronicles explores the guidance, exposure, adversity, and sense of community that affected the direction of their lives. Among them are actor Mykelti Williamson; rapper and actor Ice-T; Cheryl Cooley, guitarist and co-founder of Klymaxx; baseball greats Darryl Strawberry and Ellis Valentine; Super Bowl champion Wendell Tyler; David “Doc” Robertson; Robert “Pookie” Smith; and members of Marques’ own family, including his son Kris Johnson. Twenty years after his father earned Los Angeles City Player of the Year honors, Kris received the same distinction in 1993 before helping UCLA win the 1995 NCAA national championship—making father and son national champions at the same university. Marques' own path from Crenshaw led just a few miles west to UCLA, where he played under John Wooden and helped deliver Wooden's 10th and final NCAA championship in 1975. As a senior in 1977, Marques averaged 21.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game and became the inaugural recipient of the John R. Wooden Award. The Milwaukee Bucks selected him third overall in the 1977 NBA Draft, beginning an 11-year career in which he averaged 20.1 points and seven rebounds per game, earned five All-Star selections and three All-NBA honors, and helped pioneer the role that would become known as the “point forward.” His career included memorable postseason battles with Larry Bird's Boston Celtics and a 33-point performance in the deciding Game 4 of Milwaukee's 1983 Eastern Conference Semifinal sweep of Boston. After later joining the Los Angeles Clippers, a devastating neck injury threatened to end his playing career, but Marques eventually made an improbable return to the NBA with the Golden State Warriors in 1989. The Bucks retired his No. 8 jersey in 2019. His career beyond the court has been similarly varied. Marques became an Emmy-winning basketball broadcaster and pursued acting, appearing as Raymond in White Men Can't Jump, Mel in Blue Chips, and in films and television projects including Dark City, Caught Up, Dangerous Minds, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Boston Legal, and The Gambler. In our conversation, we discussed his upbringing in Los Angeles and his journey to Crenshaw; the enduring influence of Willie West, John Wooden, and Don Nelson; his transition into acting and broadcasting; and the countless stories within The Crenshaw Chronicles that examine humanity, courage, resilience, love, mentorship, and dedication to one's craft.
Opening Credits: Podington Bear - Blue Highway I CC BY-NC; Black Ant - 6,49 I CC BY. Closing Credits: Eric Van der Westen - A Left Hook I CC BY-NC.
