In his final high school season, Johnson led Lansing Everett to a 27–1 win–loss record while averaging 28.8 points and 16.8 rebounds per game, and took his team to an overtime victory in the state championship game.
Po tekmi mu je Fred Stabley starejši, športni novinar za "Lansing State Journal", nadel ta vzdevek, kljub prepričanju Johnsonove matere, da je bogokleten.