NICKNAME/S: DJ

BIO: Johnson was born in Carnarvon, Western Australia, and grew up in Perth, where he attended Willetton Senior High School and began playing basketball as a junior with the Willetton basketball program. He later moved to Melbourne (VIC) where he played for the Melbourne Tigers basketball team as a teenager.

In 2006 and 2007, he attended the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and played for the program’s SEABL team. In 2006, he helped the AIS win the King Club International Cup en route to being voted the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after averaging 22 points, six rebounds, one assist, two blocks and a steal over five games.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Daniel Johnson made his NBL debut with the Melbourne Tigers at 20 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

In 2008/09, Daniel Johnson was elevated from the Melbourne Tigers junior program by head coach Al Westover as a backup to NBL MVP Chris Anstey. Johnson averaged 2.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.2 assists, contributing as the Tigers finished with a 20-10 record, securing second place. The Tigers advanced to the NBL Grand Final after defeating Perth in the semifinals but ultimately fell short to their cross-town rivals, the South Dragons, in a five-game series.

2009/10
Johnson’s role grew in the 2009/10 season as Chris Anstey dealt with a recurring back injury, which limited him to his lowest statistical output since his 1996 breakout season with the Magic. Anstey averaged 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game, leaving a void in the Tigers’ frontcourt. Johnson stepped up, improving his numbers from the previous season to 10.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, which included a career-high 17 points against Adelaide. The Tigers, however, finished sixth in the regular season with an 11-17 record. At season’s end, both Anstey and his long-time teammate Sam MacKinnon retired.

2010/11
Following the club’s worst-ever season, the 36ers parted ways with coach Scott Ninnis and brought in Marty Clarke, Johnson’s former coach at the AIS, for the 2010/11 NBL season. Clarke, who had won an NBL championship as a player with North Melbourne in 1989, was an unexpected choice as head coach due to his lack of experience at this level. Clarke recruited Johnson from Melbourne, along with Rhys Carter (via Sweden), to strengthen the roster. The team also re-signed captain Adam Ballinger, who had led the 36ers in both scoring and rebounding the previous season.

Clarke made significant changes, replacing imports John Gilchrist and Cortez Groves with Troy De Vries and Craig Winder. The 36ers were immediately hit by a string of injuries, starting with Nathan Herbert, who missed the entire season with an ACL injury. Adelaide won their season opener against Perth (74-69) but managed only two wins in their next seven games. Rhys Carter then suffered a major injury in December that sidelined him for a third of the season. In his absence, Adelaide brought back former guard Aaron Bruce, who had been away from the game to complete his studies in the US. Despite Carter’s eventual return, Bruce remained on the roster for the rest of the season.

Imports De Vries and Winder struggled with fitness and form, leading to both being replaced early in the season. Winder (10.1 ppg, 35% shooting) was replaced by Ron Howard, while De Vries (10 ppg) was replaced by Eddie Shannon, a veteran Euroleague guard recommended to the club by Chris Anstey. Shannon, who had played 10 years in Europe despite being blind in one eye, brought experience and leadership to the young squad. Despite his addition, the 36ers never found consistency, and for the first time in their history, they failed to win at least 10 games, finishing the season with a 9-19 record.

Johnson showed steady improvement, finishing the season with averages of 9.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. Adelaide narrowly avoided back-to-back last-place finishes, thanks to the returning Sydney Kings, who, operating with a limited player budget, ended the season with an even worse 8-20 record.

2011/12
The 2011/12 season proved to be another tough year for the Adelaide 36ers and coach Marty Clarke. The team’s struggles began with an injury to import John Williamson during the pre-season, forcing Adelaide to start their campaign with just one import. This led to the 36ers’ largest opening night loss in team history, a 69-102 defeat to Perth.

Diamon Simpson, a former college teammate of NBA star Patty Mills, joined the squad for the second game and became one of the few bright spots for Adelaide throughout the season. Simpson averaged 14.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks (second in the league) before earning a call-up to the NBA with the Houston Rockets.

Injury issues continued when new signing Nathan Crosswell suffered an Achilles tendon injury in round 10 against New Zealand, ending his season prematurely. While Adam Ballinger (5.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists) returned for the second half of the season, injuries kept him from reaching his previous form, relegating him to a bench role for the first time in his career.

Adelaide finished the season in last place with an 8-20 record, setting a club record for an eight-game losing streak. However, Daniel Johnson continued his development, capturing the NBL’s Most Improved Player award after increasing his production from 10 points and 4 rebounds to lead the 36ers in scoring with 16.5 points and 7.7 rebounds (second on the team).

Despite the team’s struggles, there were standout performances from their imports. Chris Warren had an incredible shooting night on February 3, 2012, hitting 55% from the field, 50% from beyond the arc, and 100% from the free-throw line, finishing with 31 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in a narrow 87-81 loss to Melbourne. Meanwhile, Simpson, who posted 12 double-doubles in 27 games, recorded a monster performance in a win over Perth in December, tallying 22 points on 83% shooting, along with 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in just 26 minutes against Perth’s formidable front-line defense.

2012/13
Adelaide entered the 2012/13 NBL season looking to rebuild around a core of emerging Australian talent. Following the collapse of the Gold Coast Blaze, the 36ers capitalised by signing Adam Gibson, Anthony Petrie, and Jason Cadee to multi-year deals. The club also added centre Luke Schenscher (via Townsville), returning to the 36ers for a second stint. Key contributors Daniel Johnson, Mitch Creek, Nathan Crosswell, and Stephen Weigh were retained, forming the foundation of the new-look roster. In a strategic shift, Adelaide opted to carry only one import, signing local state league standout CJ Massingale. Departing the team were Adam Ballinger (to Melbourne), Everard Bartlett (to Perth), imports Chris Warren and Diamon Simpson, while Darren Ng, Nathan Herbert, and Wade Helliwell all retired.

Adelaide opened the season in strong form, dismantling Melbourne 84–61 in their first outing. By Round 7, they held a 4–3 record and sat third on the ladder after a hard-fought 69–65 road win over Perth. However, the momentum proved short-lived.

Daniel Johnson (16.2 points and 8.1 rebounds) continued his emergence as Adelaide’s franchise player, leading the 36ers in scoring while topping the entire NBL in rebounding. His consistency across all 28 games further solidified his reputation as one of the premier bigs in the competition. Despite Johnson’s performances, Adelaide endured a collapse in the second half of the season, going 4–17 to close out the campaign. This included an eight-game losing streak that matched the previous year’s skid.

The season was further derailed by injuries, most notably the loss of explosive swingman Mitch Creek (5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds), who suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon tear against Townsville on December 15. Creek’s athleticism and rising profile had made him central to Adelaide’s long-term plans, and his absence was a major blow.

Import CJ Massingale (4.1 points) struggled to make the transition to NBL level and was released mid-season after failing to meet expectations. He was replaced by American guard Scott Christopherson (2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds), who arrived from Belarus. Christopherson saw limited court time and became an afterthought in head coach Marty Clarke’s rotation by season’s end. His lack of impact drew harsh criticism, with veteran journalist Boti Nagy later describing him as the 36ers’ worst import of all time.

The 36ers lost their final four games to finish with an 8–20 record—identical to their previous season—once again landing in last place. Following two straight wooden spoons, head coach Marty Clarke was not retained. Adelaide moved swiftly to appoint NBL championship-winning coach Joey Wright as his successor, signalling a new direction for the franchise.

Despite the team’s struggles, Johnson was recognised for his efforts with selection to the All-NBL Second Team. Gibson (11.6 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.6 rebounds) was named to the All-NBL Third Team and served as a steady influence throughout a turbulent campaign. Petrie (11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds), Weigh (10.6 points and 5.9 rebounds), and Schenscher (9 points and 6.1 rebounds) contributed effectively in the frontcourt, while Cadee (7.5 points and 2.5 assists) and Crosswell (3.1 points and 1.7 assists) handled duties in the backcourt.

Adelaide missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year, but with Joey Wright at the helm and Daniel Johnson’s continued rise, the 36ers laid the groundwork for a long-awaited turnaround.

2013/14
In 2013, the Adelaide 36ers secured NBL championship-winning coach Joey Wright, who transformed the team from two consecutive wooden spoon finishes into Grand Final contenders, ultimately facing off against the Perth Wildcats. The 36ers retained their core Aussie group, led by Daniel Johnson (19.2 points and 6.8 rebounds), who once again topped the team in scoring and rebounding. Other key returnees included Adam Gibson, Anthony Petrie, and Jason Cadee.

Mitchell Creek and Luke Schenscher made their comebacks after previous injury-shortened campaigns, with Creek overcoming a near career-ending Achilles injury and Schenscher returning post-elbow surgery. The team added BJ Anthony (via New Zealand) and former NBL MVP Gary Ervin (via Townsville) to the backcourt, alongside new import Jarrid Frye.

By Round 7, Adelaide had surged to second place on the ladder with a 7–2 record, including a 5–0 run. This stretch included the 36ers’ first wins over the Breakers in Auckland since 2009, and a victory against the undefeated Perth Wildcats (91–86) in front of a packed Adelaide Arena crowd of 6,585, the largest home attendance since Brett Maher’s farewell game in 2009.

By December, Adelaide had already surpassed their previous season’s win total (9-4). However, Jarrid Frye (8.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists) was released in February after underperforming, having struggled with an ankle injury. Rhys Carter, who had been playing in Sweden, was signed as his replacement.

Adelaide finished the regular season in second place (18-10), with Johnson averaging 19.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. In the semifinals against Melbourne, Adelaide claimed game one (101-85), led by Gary Ervin’s 27 points and 7 assists. The Tigers evened the series with a game two victory behind Chris Goulding’s 37-point explosion (98-87), but Adelaide dominated game three (102-63), securing a spot in the Grand Final.

In the Grand Final series, Adelaide faced Perth. Despite James Ennis leading Perth with 30 points in game one, Adelaide pushed the series to a third game after a game two win (89-84) in front of their largest crowd of the season (8,127). In game three, Perth clinched the title (93-59), with Shawn Redhage and Damian Martin delivering key performances for the Wildcats, limiting Ervin to just 4 points. Despite Anthony Petrie’s valiant 20-point effort, Adelaide fell short, and Perth claimed their sixth NBL title.

Daniel Johnson won his third consecutive club MVP award and was named to the All-NBL First Team.

2014/15
The 36ers revamped their backcourt for the 2014/15 season, letting go of Gary Ervin (to Wollongong), Jason Cadee (to Sydney), and Rhys Carter (to Europe). To replace them, Adelaide signed Jamar Wilson (via Cairns) and Daequon Montreal (via Europe), with young forward Brock Motum (a member of the national team) signed as the key offensive addition.

Wilson (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) led the team in scoring and earned NBL Player of the Week honours twice, including after a 22-point game against Melbourne (Jan 10) and a 25-point performance against Townsville (Feb 1). Motum (17.5 points and 7.1 rebounds) led the team in rebounding, while Creek (11.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists) emerged as the team’s third-leading scorer, increasing his production from the previous season. Johnson averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.

The 36ers finished in third place (17-11) but were eliminated in the semifinals by eventual champions New Zealand. Jamar Wilson’s stellar season earned him the Mark Davis Trophy (club MVP) and All-NBL Second Team honours.

2015/16
Before the 2015/16 season, the 36ers revamped their backcourt again, signing import guards Kenyon McNeail and two-time NBL champion Ebi Ere. Brock Motum left for Europe, and Luke Schenscher was not re-signed, moving to Townsville. Adelaide added two young talents: Melbourne Tigers forward Lucas Walker and Nathan Sobey, who had impressed Joey Wright as a training player with Cairns.

Daniel Johnson (15.5 points and 9.3 rebounds) continued to lead the team in scoring and rebounding. However, McNeail left the team after just three games due to a shoulder injury sustained during a pre-season dunk contest. Wright brought in Jerome Randle as a replacement, a player who had been viewed as “too small” for the NBA and spent the last five years playing in Europe.

Randle made an immediate impact, scoring 30 or more points four times, including a 40-point effort against Perth on November 5. He finished the season as the NBL’s leading scorer, with averages of 23.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. Randle’s play earned him the inaugural NBL Australia Post Fan’s MVP and a spot on the All-NBL First Team, while Johnson earned All-NBL Second Team honours with his consistent play.

Despite Randle’s individual brilliance, the 36ers missed the playoffs, finishing in fifth place with a 14-14 record.

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