"In the Middle of the Bus" the biography of former World Champion L.A. Laker Clay Johnson

April 19, 2010 - PRLog -- What happens when you spend your whole life dreaming of oneday being a NBA basketball star and though you make it to the pinacle of your dream your career is cut short because you're either too tall, too short, or the last man in? Clay Johnson answers these questions and more in his intimate biography  In the Middle of the Bus (154 pp.,tbp, $16.99).

ISBN: 0982698607

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1Pnu8PO_WQ



In the Middle of the Bus” is more than just a catchy title, but it describes the very fabric of the man “Clay Johnson.” It eludes the quintessence of how one man’s triumph drilled a pathway for many to come.  A man whose firm foundation at home took him to the heights of playing in the NBA with the L.A. Lakers and others to a height some players have only dreamed of. Years later, that same firm foundation brought Johnson full circle back to his home in Kansas City, Missouri and inspirited him to start the Clay Johnson Foundation.  This foundation would give other young boys and girls who were deprived a chance of having a firm foundation at home.  

In 1978, Johnson entered the world of the NBA, a world that he had been dreaming about since the age of twelve. It was a world that gave him the opportunity to be paid playing the game he loved. His performance on the basketball court was one of an All-American, but through trials, tribulations and the disappointment of being overlooked, his NBA career was cut short. But not before he made an unforgettable impact on the game and those around him. As the story of “In the Middle of the Bus” reveals, Johnson saw his short NBA career in the realm of a blessing rather than a curse.  For even the ministry of Jesus Christ was short; but the revelation was powerful and the impact will last through out eternity. Johnson’s struggle was instrumental in shaping him into the man he is today. It has unfolded a revelation of God’s plan for him, which is to be a light of hope and a shipper of love.

Johnson is spoken of by many as, having a “heart of gold.” A heart which is visualized through the undying care and support that he gives not just to the youth he touches through his foundation, but all who are and has ever been a part of his starting lineup on and off the basketball court. He is a man who expresses and solidifies the voice of faith, patience, and perseverance. Though like us all, he is not perfect, but he strives for perfection. His love and loyalty towards his family, friends, and even strangers is a caliber that we all should take heed to and strive to posses daily. Though Johnson physically played the position of a guard on the basketball court, his spiritual domain was and still is undoubtedly that of the position of a center. Basketball was merely a vehicle that would allow him to devote his talents and energies to a larger cause, the “Clay Johnson Foundation,” which indeed was the point of it all.


For more information or to contact the author, visit www.clayjohnson.info
To order your copy, visit www.dovesisland.com


About the authors:

Clay Johnson was born, July 18th 1956 to Clay and Claudine Johnson in Yazoo City, Mississippi, as the second eldest of 10 children. He was 2 when his family moved to Kansas City. Clay took an interest in basketball during Jr. High and began playing on the outside courts at the Wayne Miner Housing Projects. In High School, Johnson was quickly recognized as the best player in the city and won the James A Direana award during his senior year and in college he played for Penn Valley College and the University Missouri Columbia. He began his professional career with the WBA, playing for the Utah Pros and then the Hawaii Volcanoes, where he led his teammates in rebounding and scoring. The NBA was soon home to Johnson when the Los Angeles Lakers brought him on as a team member. There he won a NBA Championship with great players like Magic Johnson and Kareem. He played two season with the Lakers, the Seattle Supersonics claimed him, and he finished his NBA career with them. Returning to the Kansas City area, Clay began the Clay Johnson Foundation in 2005, which places focus on youth mentorship. Clay enjoys free time with his wife Vedia and their 4 children, daughters Nikiesha, J’Nae, Caleia and son Clay Johnson IV, along with their granddaughter Kiona Phillips.  


Regina Gladmon is a writer, poet, producer and Christian speaker from Conyers, Ga. She attended Western Govenors University. She has worked on many literary projects as a ghostwriter for over 14 years. She has also written and directed off-broad way shows such as “Will You Be Ready,” Restoration, The Greatest Gift, and Coming Home and the musical stage play “Back to My 1st Real Love.”  

Doves Island Productions, LLC offers full-service, custom self-publishing and book marketing services for authors seeking a cost-effective, fast, and flexible way to write and publish  their books.