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Once in a generation, a truly gifted athlete comes along. A Redwood City original was the epitome of said gifting. His name: Charlie Johnson.
Quiet and soft-spoken, he was a fierce competitor at every level and activity he engaged in. Johnson could have excelled at any sport. He chose basketball, and we who were fortunate enough to witness his skills have unforgettable memories.
Johnson played point guard on Sequoia High’s basketball team in the mid-1960s. While helping the team’s record to improve each year, his senior year is permanently etched within the hearts of locals who followed his accomplishments. He was in a class by himself, and a one-man wrecking crew for the competition in 1967.
Leading Sequoia into the PBT (Peninsula Basketball Tournament) at Stanford, Johnson stood head and shoulders above everyone as the most exciting player in the tournament. Overflow crowds kept gasping at his incredible talent. Just under 6 feet tall, Charlie stood alone casting a giant shadow over everyone in the tournament. He led the Cherokees to the championship game against one of Northern California’s perennial powerhouse teams- Bishop O’Dowd.
In spite of a superhuman effort, Sequoia fell in the championship game.
Yet, all those who attended will never forget when his name was announced as the tourney MVP. Thunderous applause broke out, lasting well over five solid minutes, as Johnson stood someberly alone at Center court in humble appreciation of adoring fans.
More Than Basketball
Capping off his marvelous high school basketball career Johnson’s crowning achievement was being named Northern California’s Most Valuable High School Basketball player.
However, his accomplishments didn’t end there.
After his final basketball season at Sequoia he chose to participate in track and field, as a long jumper. In spite of missing much of the season, due to basketball, Johnson won the Central Coast Section competition with a jump of 24’ 7,” which is nothing short of astounding at the high school level.
From Sequoia Charlie went on the UC Berkeley, where he starred for the Bears. Legendary UCLA coach John Wooden called Johnson the best point guard in the conference.
After his senior year at Cal, he won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award as the best college player in the country under six feet tall.
He then joined the San Francisco Warriors, where he played on the 1975 NBA Championship team. In the voting for the MVP of the championship series against the Bullets, Johnson came in second behind Rick Barry.
No other athlete from Sequoia High School can claim to be a world champion.
To all that knew him, Charlie was much more than a great athlete. He was a quiet, gifted, intensely private person. No one ever spoke an unkind word about him. Tragically, his star flamed out far too soon, when cancer took him at the young age of 58.
Thank you, Charlie, you touched all of us.
Everything else is just history
Some of the photos used in this blog are courtesy of the Local History Room, Redwood City's best-kept secret. The Local History Collection covers all aspects of Redwood City's development, from the 1850s to the present day, with particular emphases on businesses, public schools, civic organizations, city agencies, and early family histories. The Local History Room is not affiliated with the Redwood City Public Library, but it is inside it.
