Sondheimer: Marques Johnson’s daughter begins new era in family legacy

Marques Johnson is a living, breathing legend who’s seen and experienced so many moments of greatness that his story could be part of a museum exhibit dedicated to telling L.A. basketball history from the 1970s into the 21st century.

From becoming the City Section player of the year at Crenshaw High in 1973 to playing on John Wooden’s final UCLA championship team in 1975 to being a five-time All-Star with the Milwaukee Bucks to screaming “Yeah, baby!” as a radio broadcaster during Tyler Edney’s miracle buzzer-beater for UCLA in the 1995 NCAA tournament, Johnson is an L.A. sports institution.

Then there’s his family. Son Kris was the City player of the year at Crenshaw in 1993 and a member of UCLA’s national championship team in 1995. Another son, Josiah, starred for Montclair Prep, then went to UCLA and became a successful TV writer and social media star. Another son, Joshua, is an actor.

The Johnsons are L.A.’s first family of basketball and now there’s a new era, as the first Johnson female has made her high school debut.

Shiloh Johnson, Marques’ 15-year-old daughter who paints her fingernails white and has a ponytail, is a 6-foot freshman at Windward, and all her brothers insist she’s more advanced at her age than any of the boys before her.

Marques, 68, who’s an Emmy-winning broadcaster with the Milwaukee Bucks, said his daughter has the same passion for basketball. She gets up at 5 a.m. for lessons from Kris before school. She listens intently when he reminds her of all the great L.A. stars through the years, taking her to Crenshaw to train in the gym and look up at former coach Willie West’s 16 championship banners. Marquestook her to a park in Inglewood where the likes of Reggie Theus, Paul Pierce and Byron Scott hung out.

“I’ve always considered myself the basketball storyteller who’s lived through 50 years of history,” Marques said. “I’ve made sure she is plugged into tradition. I want her to understand what this history of L.A. basketball greatness is all about. She’s working hard to try to hold up her end.”

Shiloh said she wasn’t serious about basketball in her youth days playing at a recreation center in Westchester while also trying tennis, golf and ballet. It was during the pandemic in 2020 when she started working out with another brother, Cyrus, and her love for basketball took over.

“I feel when I play. I have a drive to get better every single day,” she said. “Watching my father and knowing his legacy is also part of it.”

Marques has taken photos of Shiloh with the Bucks’ superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, annually for the last seven years, showing her growth along the way. Shiloh said she didn’t realize early on what it meant to be around one of the NBA’s best players but now understands how fortunate she is.

“When I was younger, I didn’t realize how big it was,” she said. “It was normal, a tradition every year, go to the Milwaukee practice facility. As I got older and mainly when they won the championship in 2021, it was, ‘Wow, I have this big advantage.’ It’s really cool and beneficial to learn things and be around that. It’s cool to see my evolution.”

At Windward, Shiloh is one of six promising freshmen on the varsity team. Coach Rachel Shrout said her size and potential are plentiful.

“I’m proud of her progress and her work ethic,” she said.

Shiloh said this season will be about adapting to the high school game and focusing on her strengths — hustle and rebounding. She’s someone who “locks in” during games but also is hard on herself. Kris has been helping her with the mental game. She knows about the changes going on in the women’s game and the new opportunities unfolding.

“I was around the men’s game when I was younger, but I always loved Candace Parker and followed JuJu Watkins through her high school career and seeing her in the newspaper,” she said.

Kris and Marques were sitting in the bleachers for Shiloh’s high school debut against Sage Hill last month. She started and played extensively but didn’t score. Her focus was battling for rebounds, playing defense and hustling.

The Johnson family always has good timing. Marques was 6 feet 6 and known as a swingman at a time when his size made him a defensive mismatch for guards and forwards. He got to play for Wooden’s final NCAA championship team. He was an announcer for UCLA’s last championship team under coach Jim Harrick and was there for Edney’s memorable full-court drive and basket to beat Missouri.

And now he has his first basketball-playing daughter in high school at a time when the popularity of women’s basketball is soaring.

Marques was asked what Wooden would say if he were around to see Shiloh.

“He thought the women were a lot more fundamentally sound than the men,” Marques said. “He loved it. Coach Wooden would be tinkled pink. He loved Ann Meyers.”

One tradition Marques has is dunking each birthday. Since Shiloh says she’s still growing, could she join him one day with a father-daughter dunk?

“I hope so,” she said.

The Johnson family will be supporting Shiloh on her basketball journey. It’s an L.A. story shared with so many over 50 years who’ve watched family members perform.

“I’m super honored,” Shiloh said. “I love my family.”