Former NBA star runs for mayor

What do you do when you've finished a high-profile career in professional sports? Some become coaches and sports commentators. A few, like Tiki Barber, transition to a new form of entertainment as TV hosts. And then there's Kevin Johnson, the former Phoenix Suns star who decided, after spending years running a nonprofit in his hometown, to run for mayor.

Johnson is running in the Democratic primary in Sacramento, California in an effort to unseat incumbent Mayor Heather Fargo, who is running for a third term, according to the New York Times. Johnson is running his campaign on the theme of change, the Times reports.

Johnson, 42, "doesn't have to worry about name recognition," writes Times columnist William C. Rhoden. "He has been a well-known figure since high school, when he was a two-sport star at Sacramento High." After graduating from high school, he continued his athletic career at the University of California at Berkeley, a school with a serious academic reputation. Johnson majored in political science, a skill that may come in handy for his campaign.

There is some precedent for former athletes transitioning to politics. A pro wrestler named Jesse "The Body" Ventura became governor of Minnesota, a former bodybuilder named Arnold Schwarzenegger became governor of California and former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Lynn Swann ran for governor of Pennsylvania two years ago.