Ernie Johnson is known as the smiley guy of the “Inside the NBA” crew. Always the smallest guy in between behemoths like Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and even Kenny Smith, Johnson played the role of the lynchpin that held them together.
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And he not only did that on screen but did that for his family as well. Ernie Johnson had a son who could barely function as a human being but dedicated every possible second to keeping him alive and happy. Michael Johnson, the fortunate young man, lived a happy life because of his father.
When he passed away in his early 30s in 2021, Ernie was distraught. But he was also happy that he gave a kid a chance that nobody else dared to take. That makes Ernie Johnson one of the best humans ever!
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Ernie Johnson and his wife and his wife Cheryl lived their lives to protect their son
A simple trip to Romania to find a child for adoption was a turning point in their lives. Cheryl Johnson, the wife of Ernie, went to the orphanage, and Michael was the first person she handed over. A boy who could not speak was disfigured, and had been left for dead—that was the boy they brought back home.
Reason? Cheryl felt that she couldn’t spend her life thinking about what happened to that little kid, who was not given a chance. “He is no good,” said the caretaker of the orphanage. That was the phrase used for a 3-year-old kid who was dealt the worst hand possible. There was no way he was going to be left behind.
Ernie and his wife devoted their entire lives to this young boy who outlived the doctors’ predictions. They struggled, but in those struggles, they gave a young boy a chance. A chance that was otherwise never given to him.
“There’s value in everybody,” he said, during his remembrance, which rings true every second of the day.
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Not many people dare to do what the couple did for young Michael
Ernie Johnson and his wife are saints; they did not let a young boy die a horrible death in a situation that was pushed onto him. Michael was a young boy who could barely talk and was brought home to a couple of devoted parents.
They spent their whole lives pushing for the best life possible for their son—a feat that pushed Michael far beyond his life expectancy. Only Johnson’s perseverance allowed him to live nearly 18 years past the doctors’ predictions.
Michael Johnson was the luckiest person in the world; he was found by two amazing human beings. Ernie Johnson, you have our respect, and our thoughts are with you always.
