Is Joe Johnson a productive All-Star? Absolutely
Did the Atlanta Hawks overpay to keep him? Most definetely
You would think that with the possibility of a cancelled NBA season this year, players would cut back and try and save a penny whenever possible. Well, not Joe Johnson. The shooting guard from Arkansas was instrumental in bringing the Hawks back to relevancy ever since he arrived in a trade with the Suns — and for his efforts, he was eventually rewarded with a max contract. As a result, he’s immune to the potential effects of the NBA lockout (we would think). Johnson has got that Carson Palmer cash, and he lets us know that he’s got money to blow with his museum-like shoe closet.
“I wanted to display all of my shoes, so I had this 500-square-foot closet made. I just thought this would be a cool idea, and it would almost look like a museum. I had a fingerprint sensor put on the door to make sure I’m the only one who can get in here. I mostly wear Air Jordans. All of the Jordan guys are selected by Michael Jordan himself. It’s kind of hard to tell MJ no. I have 436 pairs of sneakers in here, and they’re mostly unworn. I’ll wear all of them eventually.”
436 Pairs? He’s living every 13 year old’s dream. Do you Joe — Antoine Walker is watching.