Former Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets Coach Avery Johnson and his wife Cassandra have been married for 33 years. Johnson occasionally showers his wife with compliments on his social media handle.
Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Johnson’s basketball journey began at St. Augustine High School.
At St. Augustine, Avery established himself as a star. He led his team to an undefeated season and the 1983 Class 4A State Championship.
Johnson played his final two collegiate years with Southern University and led the NCAA in each of his two years.
Despite being Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year and the MVP of the conference tournament as both a junior and senior, Avery went undrafted in the 1988 Draft.
He made his NBA with the Seattle Supersonics in 1988. An NBA journeyman, Johnson played for six franchises, winning the NBA Championship with the Spurs in 1999.
After retiring in 2004, Johnson focused his attention on becoming a coach. He joined the Mavericks as an assistant, and within five months, he was promoted to head coach.
Johnson had an electric start as a coach with the Mavs, winning NBA Coach of the Year during his first full season in 2006.
Strong regular seasons couldn’t translate into an NBA trophy, leading Johnson to get replaced by Rick Carlisle in 2008.
In 2010, the Brooklyn Nets appointed Johnson as their head coach, thinking he could change their faith, but under Johnson, Brooklyn showed no improvement.
Avery returned to ESPN as an analyst after the Nets fired him in 2012. The University of Alabama appointed Avery as their head coach in 2015.
After not much success, Alabama and Avery parted ways in 2019.
Nowadays, Avery imparts his basketball knowledge through his Instagram handle. He also uses the platform to praise his wife, Cassandra, and his family, which includes their two kids.
Avery Johnson Reveals His Wife Cassandra Was The Breadwinner When He Was Cut From NBA!
January 1988, Avery Johnson saw his wife Cassandra Johnson (née Merricks) for the first time.
He was in his final semester at Southern University, and Cassandra had recently enrolled in the nursing program.
The two met in passing, and Avery thought the girl was pretty interesting.
Avery graduated and started focusing on making it to the NBA, which he did.
A mutual friend re-introduced the two in August 1988, and after sensing a connection, the two started dating.
On July 5, 2024, the couple celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary.
Avery shared a sweet Instagram post for his wife, including a throwback picture of them walking down the aisle.
In March 2024, Avery shared how his wife put the food on the table when he struggled to stick with one team in the NBA.
He said his wife’s nursing job paid the bills when the Nuggets cut him, and he was hopping between the Spurs and the Rockets.
In the video, Johnson also recalled when his wife gave him $4 to treat himself.
After graduating from Southern University as a Registered Nurse, Cassandra worked at St. Luke’s University Health Network as a Nurse.
In 1997, she established Grape Pudding Boutique, which she ran as a CEO until 2000.
Since 2003, Cassandra has worked as a Family Manager for Avery Johnson Enterprises.
In October 2024, the couple served as honorary co-chairs at the 2024 DSO Gala, an annual fundraising event benefiting the orchestra’s education and community outreach initiatives.
Avery and Cassandra Johnson Are Parents to Two Kids!
Avery and Cassandra Johnson have raised two kids, a son, Avery Johnson Jr., and Christianne Johnson. The former Mavs coach’s son tried following in his footsteps.
Avery Johnson Jr., 29, played high school basketball at Plano West, averaging 15 points and four assists per game in his senior season.
He enrolled at Texas A&M but only stayed there for his freshman year.
Avery Jr. joined Alabama in 2016 and was named the team’s MIP. He ranked fifth in scoring 6.9 points.
In his final two years, Avery focused on his academics compared to basketball and made it to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
He graduated in 2018 with a degree in Business Administration and started working for NBA Star Devin Booker’s company, where he still works.
While working with Booker’s company, Johnson Jr. returned to Alabama to earn his Master’s in Sports Business.
Currently, Avery Johnson Jr. is the Owner of two companies, 40 Love, an American country club, and Flerish Hydration.
The elder child of Avery and Cassandra’s daughter, Christianne Johnson, showed interest in track and tennis during high school.
She enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania in 2011 and graduated with an East Asian Languages and Civilizations and Business Economics.
After graduating, Christianne worked as a Manager at BlackRock.
While working at BlackRock, Christianne also started working at Elevate Global as a Head of Business Strategy.
In 2020, Christianne enrolled in Northwestern University’s MBA program and began working at Bain & Company.
Since August 2024, Christianne has been working as the Director of Strategy and Operations at Fabletics.
She also helps her brother out at Flerish Hydration, working as their Head of Business Strategy.
Avery shares appreciation posts for his daughter on her birthday, and in April 2024, he talked about her marriage with Austin Josiah, a Senior Manager and Corporate Strategist at OneTeam Partners.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- In October 2023, Avery Johnson was inducted into St. Augustine’s Hall of Fame.
- Cassandra Johnson was accused of assault by two Phoenix Suns fans in 2006 during Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
