Former Gopher, New Prague basketball star Ron Johnson dies

Former Gopher and New Prague basketball star Ron Johnson, 76, died unexpectedly of an aneurysm on Sunday night.

Johnson, the state’s first boys’ high school basketball player to score 2,000 career points, became an icon as a sophomore. The 6-7 standout was a one-man show, leading New Prague to the state tournament in his junior and senior seasons in 1955 and 1956. They lost in the semifinals both years.

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 SID’s JOTTINGS

Kate Johnson, the daughter-in-law of Ron Johnson, e-mailed to say that one of his grandsons, Levi, traveled from China for the funeral after the Gophers basketball great from New Prague died last week at age 76. Levi and his brother, Gabe, sat in Ron Johnson’s seats in Section 213 at Williams Arena for the Gophers’ 62-58 victory over Purdue on Saturday, and Ron Johnson’s son Phil and granddaughter Maddie also attended.

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