GRANDMAMA GIVES CONVERSE A PIECE OF HIS MIND

     In this month's SPORT magazine, Larry Johnson criticized how
Converse handled his injury problems.  Johnson said Converse has
"kind of [written] me off a little bit": "At first, when
[Grandmama] first came out, Converse and I did a whole lot of
commercials.  But after a year or two because of my back injury,
we haven't.  I'm gonna take a shot at Converse. ... You print
that.  I'm taking a shot at them.  It's a business.  Hey, we're
playing a game.  I look at it from their point of view.  Those
guys are trying to sell shoes. ... So if I ain't out there
playing, those guys ain't gonna sell their tennis shoes and make
no money.  It's really no hard feelings.  But I do want them to
know that I am an elephant. ... I don't forget" (SPORT, 3/95
issue).