Johnson, Larry (1965- ), American professional basketball player, one of the most dominating forwards in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Johnson became known for his ability to score and rebound effectively near the basket.

Born in Tyler, Texas, Johnson was educated at Odessa College and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV). Playing for Odessa in 1988, he was named junior college basketball player of the year. He transferred to UNLV for the 1989-90 season and helped his team win the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball championship that year. The following season he led the team to the NCAA tournament semifinals (known as the Final Four) and was voted national college player of the year.

The Charlotte Hornets selected Johnson as the first pick of the 1991 NBA draft, and he was named NBA rookie of the year for the 1991-92 season. In his second season Johnson became the Hornets’ leading scorer and rebounder and led the team to its first appearance in the NBA playoffs. In 1994 he played as a member of the United States national basketball team known as Dream Team II, which won the gold medal at the world basketball championships in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Johnson was traded to the New York Knicks before the 1996-97 season.