Putting on a show

Published 7:34 am Friday, December 19, 2025

Johnson jams way into Cowboy lore

Just 1:08 after checking into the season-opener, Larry Johnson picked up a loose ball and raced to the other end of the court. 

As he reached the paint, the freshman transfer from Creighton rose toward the basket as McNeese fans held their breath. 

They had heard rumors about Johnson’s athleticism and were eager to see it for themselves.

As the defender rose with him, Johnson, who seemed to find another level to reach, cocked back his right arm and delivered a thunderous dunk, delivering the first two points of his college career.

With it, the official dunk of McNeese passed from the ShuSlam to the Johnson Jam. And this year’s legend was born.

“Wait until you get a look at this guy,” guard DJ Richards said before the season. “He is something else.”

Richards, who promotes McNeese basketball with the best of them, wasn’t wrong. Through the first dozen games, Johnson has been everything promised and more.

“He can do some amazing things,” teammate Javohn Garcia said. “He can jump better than anyone I’ve seen.”

Johnson, just 20 years old, knew all about Christian Shumate and his famous ShuSlams. 

“I heard of his dunks,” Johnson said. “I saw a couple of them, and they were pretty good. He could really jump.”

Regarding having his dunks named, “I like it,” Johnson said. “It goes with my name. I know I’m gonna give ‘em a dunk every game.”

Johnson has given McNeese fans a lot to cheer about. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard leads the Cowboys in points (16.6) and rebounds (4.5) despite playing just 21 minutes a game, which is fifth on the team.

While fourth in the Southland in overall scoring per game, Johnson actually leads the league in points per minute. That comes as no surprise to his coach. 

“He is the most athletic player I have ever coached,” Bill Armstrong said. “He can do a lot of things and really score the basketball.”

Johnson is much more than a dunker. He leads the Southland in shooting, hitting on 59.7 percent (74-for-124) of his shots from the field and leads the league at 90% (45-50) on free throws. 

“He is a really good basketball player, not just a dunker,” said Armstrong. “It was big when we got him.”

Johnson is actually Larry Johnson Jr., and while his dad played and taught him basketball, he is not the famous former NBA star nicknamed “Grandmama,” a fact that is often confused.

“I hear that a lot,” Johnson said. “People who don’t know me yet think that’s the case.”

Johnson is making a name for himself and says he loves entertaining fans. 

“I’m a showtime player,” he said. “I like to put on a show and entertain people. It’s great to see the fans get excited when I dunk.”

Johnson is almost always smiling, especially when on the court. He enjoys the game.

“I have fun playing basketball,” Johnson said. “I love playing basketball. I work hard on my game, but I want to have fun doing it.”

Johnson’s path to McNeese has been interesting, starting in his hometown of Savannah, Georgia, then through Atlanta and Creighton before landing in Lake Charles.

“Yeah, it’s been unusual,” Johnson said. “The culture at Creighton was different. I feel at home here in Lake Charles. It’s a lot like Savannah.”

It helps that the Cowboys are winning, off to a 10-2 start. It’s the same winning culture, along with Armstrong, that brought him to McNeese.

“I was sitting on the couch at my crib watching them play and win in the NCAA Tournament,” Johnson said. “That’s what you want to do, play for a winning game and a coach you like.”

Along the way, he doesn’t mind putting on a show for his new fans.