Don Johnson was a recognizable name in the 80s. He starred in the show “Miami Vice,” a primetime hit that became a pop culture phenomenon.
Becoming a Hollywood star opened many doors for Johnson. As a huge basketball fan, he rubbed elbows with the NBA’s who’s who of the decade, including Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird. Bird even invited Johnson to hang out in the locker room one time, but as he would later admit, what he saw there was something that he wasn’t ready for.
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Don Johnson saw Dennis Johnson’s “johnson”
A guy like Larry Legend seldom lets people into his world, so he must be really good friends with the actor. That invitation carried weight, making Johnson’s Celtics locker room story all the more memorable.
Years later, Don recounts that interaction on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Kimmel is also a massive NBA fan, so he could relate to the game and Johnson’s genuine love for it. It was the type of anecdote that only gets better with time. And to his credit, Don told it with the ease of someone who had come to terms with what he had witnessed.
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“(Larry) sent word out to come back to the locker room after the game,” Johnson told Kimmel. “I said, ‘Okay, sure. What the heck?’ So, I go back there and I’m standing there and I’m talking to him and Kevin McHale. I think I can tell this story because the gentleman that I’m talking about has already passed. I was standing there, shooting the breeze and stuff, and I turned and I look and coming out of the showers is Dennis Johnson. And Dennis Johnson’s johnson is the star of the show.”
“And I kind of like, ‘What the heck?'” added Don, looking stunned and wide-eyed as the sight of DJ’s manhood. “So, as it turns out, I turned back to Larry and Kevin McHale, and they go, ‘Right? No.'”
And as much as that close-up view stunned Don, what he witnessed as soon as he left the arena left him more astounded. Donna Johnson, Dennis’s wife, was a petite lady and Don couldn’t wrap his head around what might happen behind closed doors.
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“The math ain’t mathing here,” added the singer-actor.
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The NBA locker room is a sacred, but crazy place
The 6’4″ DJ played 14 seasons in the NBA and won titles with two teams. Johnson was the 1979 Finals MVP for the Seattle SuperSonics before joining Boston in 1983, capturing two more titles in 1984 and 1986.
Therefore, Dennis would know a thing or two about the sanctity of the locker room. It is a space that breeds trust and familiarity, although it could also be a place where everything crazy happens.
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For instance, Shaquille O’Neal often held naked wrestling matches in the Phoenix Suns locker room. Zach Randolph and Ruben Patterson almost killed each other inside the four walls of the Portland Trail Blazers locker room, while Gheorge Muresan terrorized his Washington Bullets teammate by watching over the stall of the shower and bathroom.
Still, what Don stumbled into that night wasn’t meant for outside eyes. That’s the nature of the NBA locker room. It is a sanctuary where the rules of the outside world do not apply. What happens in there stays in there. Well, most of the time anyway.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.