THE Pistons’ Vinnie Johnson has long been hailed as having one of the NBA’s most memorable nicknames.

Known as The Microwave, Johnson had an uncanny ability to heat up quickly off the bench. But he’s also one of the greatest businessmen in league history.

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Vinnie Johnson won two NBA titles with the Detroit PistonsCredit: Getty

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Johnson was known as The Microwave for his ability to score points quickly off the benchCredit: Getty

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The 66-year-old is now worth $400million after a successful business careerCredit: Getty
The former Detroit Pistons sixth man has transformed his $5 million career earnings into a $400 million fortune.

After an illustrious career in which he won two NBA titles, Johnson hung up his sneakers in 1992.

He then started his own automobile supply company, the Piston Group, which became a supplier for Ford, GM, Honda, Toyota, and Chrysler.

Piston Group is one of the world’s largest minority-owned businesses and turns over $3 billion annually, according to CelebrityNetWorth.

The 66-year-old, who serves as the Piston Group’s chairman and CEO, has an incredible net worth of $400 million.

“I really wanted to get into business and create some jobs and opportunities,” Johnson told Baylor Magazine in 2013.

“I wanted to do something different outside of basketball, but the main thing was giving back to the city of Detroit for all the support they have given me.”

Piston Group struggled at times during its first five years but took off in 2001 when it formed joint ventures with Lear Corp., Continental, and Sachs Automotive.

“We learned some things in those joint ventures, and when they ended in 2005, we focused on Piston Automotive and doing chassis assembly work for the Big Three [General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis (Chrysler)] and some of the Tier One suppliers, and continued to grow,” Johnson added.

It is a remarkable rise for an athlete who was one of the best scorers at Baylor before being picked seventh in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics.

After two years in Seattle, Johnson got traded to Detroit in 1981, where he emerged as one of the Pistons’ key offensive players.

The guard played an integral role during the Pistons’ two titles, draining a championship-winning shot with just 0.7 seconds left in Game 5 of the 1990 NBA Finals to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers.

He was given the nickname The Microwave after scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter during a 102-99 victory over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals in May 1985.

“If that guy in Chicago [William Perry] is the ‘Refrigerator’ then Vinnie Johnson is the Microwave,” Celtics guard Danny Ainge said.

“He sure heated up in a hurry.”

Johnson’s No. 15 jersey was retired by the Pistons in 1994.

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Johnson speaks at Dennis Rodman’s jersey retirement ceremony in 2011Credit: Getty