'Little Big Man' having jersey retired

Johnson's high school accomplishments will be acknowledged when his number 11 is retired Friday night when Sequoia plays at home against Carlmont.

"It is an honor and pleasure, to have something designated as yours. It means something to me," Johnson said. "You have a short time on this planet and if you can do something that leaves a legacy it is amazing."

Pete Simos, Sequoia's current head coach, believes Johnson's jersey retirement is long overdue.

"When I first came here, I wondered why was his jersey was not retired," Simos said. "I know that I have talked to the team about his exploits here and all of the great things he has done and they will be looking forward to the ceremony."

After graduating Sequoia, Johnson went to University of California at Berkeley on a basketball scholarship, where he played guard for the Golden Bears. Johnson was a three-year starter and captain 1969 through 1971. He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the sixth round and he played with the Warriors from 1972-1978, including the 1974-75 championship team.

"Charles was quite an athlete," said Joe Ellis, his teammate on the Golden State Warriors from 1971-1972. "He was able to do whatever he wanted to do on the court, as he had a nice jump shot and he was excellent defensively."

Ellis liked Johnson's competitive nature.

"He did not back down from anything," Ellis said. "When he stepped on the court he was all business."

After playing for the Warriors, Johnson played his final two years in the NBA with the Washington Bullets, including the 1977-78 championship team.

Johnson was raised in Redwood City, attended Washington Elementary School, McKinley Junior High School and Sequoia High School, graduating in 1967. Johnson was a multi-sport athlete, excelling in both basketball and track and field. He was named all-Central Coast Section in the long jump, setting a mark of 24 feet, 7 1/2 inches.

It was on the hardwood, however, where he made a name for himself. Starting out, he did not realize how good he was until he moved up to the varsity team as a sophomore.

"When I was a sophomore they came to me and told me that they wanted me to play varsity basketball," Johnson said. "I wanted to do it by steps - freshmen, JVs and then varsity. I did not think I was ready for varsity until I got involved in the competition. Then I realized that I could compete."

Once on the team, he excelled. He was a lights-out shooting guard who could defend. As he got better, his teams got better. His sophomore year, the team tied for third place in league play. His junior year, the team tied for second and in his senior year, the team tied for first.

"Each year was like a stepping stone," Johnson said. "During my senior year, when we came in first, we played our rivals, Palo Alto, in a one-game playoff. We beat them and then we moved on to the TOC."

The TOC, or Tournament of Champions as it is called, was the precursor to the state championship. Sequoia was matched up against a tough Bishop O'Dowd team from Oakland. Sequoia lost the game, but Johnson's play earned him a 10-minute standing ovation.

"It was completely unexpected and it was humbling," Johnson recalled. "I did not really understand it at the time or what was going on. I just went out and played the game as it should be played. I did not even know that these people were appreciating me. But after that happened, I realized what they were doing."

Today, Johnson lives in the East Bay, working with various charities.

"I help to put on charity golf tournaments," Johnson said. "Things where we bring back older players from the NBA, MLB players, to play golf and interact with the fans."

He still follows basketball and wants to get involved in the game in some capacity. However, he has a problem with some of today's players.

"All of the kids want to make ESPN," Johnson said. "These kids are not the kind of kids that would carry on a tradition. They are looking for instant gratification."

Johnson said he is looking forward to coming back to where his sports career took off.

"In my time, I played the game, because it was fun," said Johnson. "It turned into something else. I never realized that I was good. The only thing that I realized is that I aspired to be the best player I could be. I wanted to play the game the way it should be played."