Anthony Johnson, a former top basketball player from Montana, went suddenly in Tacoma, Washington, on Wednesday.
Following a severe stroke that occurred on October 21, during his daughter’s birthday celebration, Johnson had remained in serious condition. With one child on the way, Johnson and his spouse, former Lady Griz basketball player Shaunte (Nance) Johnson, are parents to three children.
During his two seasons with the Grizzlies, 2008–09 and 2009–10, Johnson led the club in points and assists per game and was named to the first team of the Big Sky Conference in both seasons. With an average of 17.6 points per game, he was named the Big Sky Conference’s rookie of the year in 2008–09. He increased to 19.2 points per game in 2009–10, and CollegeInsider.com named him an All-American.
Shaunte Johnson wrote on Facebook Thursday, “We “celebrated” our last anniversary and his last breaths cuddled in his bed, blasting our favorite love songs. I am one of the luckiest women to have experience love at this level, for soooo long! Thank you all for your prayers! I know that our God is still good but I still feel so lost without my best friend, lover and teammate of 18 years!”
Montana director of athletics Kent Haslam wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: “I sat with my Dad for the second half of that championship game in 2010 at Weber State. We both could not believe what we were watching Anthony do! Thanks for those memories Anthony. You’re gone too soon.”