Keon Johnson (basketball, born 2002)

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Keon Johnson
No. 45 – Brooklyn Nets
PositionShooting guard / point guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2002-03-10) March 10, 2002 (age 22)
Shelbyville, Tennessee, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High schoolThe Webb School
(Bell Buckle, Tennessee)
CollegeTennessee (2020–2021)
NBA draft2021: 1st round, 21st overall pick
Selected by the New York Knicks
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2022Los Angeles Clippers
2021–2022→Agua Caliente Clippers
2022–2023Portland Trail Blazers
2023–presentBrooklyn Nets
2023–present→Long Island Nets
Career highlights and awards
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com

Christopher Keon Johnson is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers.

Early life and high school career[edit]

Two months before beginning high school, Johnson suffered open fractures in four of his fingers, was thrown about 10 feet and lost consciousness in a fireworks accident. He underwent surgery to repair blood vessels in his hand and avoid amputation, and he underwent eight weeks of intensive physical therapy.[1][2]

Johnson played high school basketball for The Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. In his sophomore season, he averaged 25.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, earning Division II-A Tennessee Mr. Basketball honors.[3] As a junior, Johnson averaged 25.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, leading his team to the Division II-A state semifinals. He repeated as Division II-A Tennessee Mr. Basketball.[4][5] Early in his senior season, Johnson suffered a season-ending meniscus injury. In four games, he averaged 30.5 points with 10.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.[6]

Recruiting[edit]

On August 6, 2019, Johnson committed to play college basketball for Tennessee over offers from Ohio State and Virginia, among others.[7] By the end of his high school career, Johnson was rated by major recruiting services as a consensus five-star recruit and the highest ranked player in Tennessee in the 2020 class. He became the first top-ranked in-state prospect to commit to Tennessee since Robert Hubbs III in 2013.[8]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Keon Johnson
SG 		Shelbyville, TN The Webb School (TN) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Aug 9, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 90
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 18  247Sports: 17  ESPN: 28
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Tennessee 2020 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  • "2020 Tennessee Volunteers Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.

College career[edit]

On February 6, 2021, Johnson scored a career-high 27 points in an 82–71 win over Kentucky.[9] As a freshman, he averaged 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, and was named to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman Team. On April 7, 2021, Johnson declared for the 2021 NBA draft, forgoing his college eligibility.[10] At the NBA Draft Combine, he recorded the highest maximum vertical leap in combine history, at 48 inches.[11]

Professional career[edit]

Los Angeles Clippers (2021–2022)[edit]

Johnson was selected with the 21st pick in the 2021 NBA draft by the New York Knicks and was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Quentin Grimes and draft considerations.[12] On August 6, 2021, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Clippers.[13] In his rookie year, Johnson played in only 15 games for the Clippers.[14]

Portland Trail Blazers (2022–2023)[edit]

On February 4, 2022, Johnson was traded, alongside Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, and a 2025 second-round pick, to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Norman Powell and Robert Covington.[15] Johnson made his Trail Blazers debut on February 24, recording four points and four rebounds in a 132–95 loss to the Golden State Warriors.[16] On April 1, he scored a career-high 20 points, alongside three assists, in a 130–111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.[17] The Trail Blazers ultimately finished the season with a 27–55 record and did not qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

Johnson played for the Trail Blazers during the 2022 NBA Summer League. He averaged 14.2 points per game en route to the team's second Las Vegas Summer League championship in franchise history.[18] On March 27, 2023, he tied his career high of 20 points, alongside three rebounds and six assists, in a 124–90 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.[19] Two days later, Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups announced that Johnson had suffered a broken finger during a practice and would be out indefinitely.[20]

On September 27, 2023, Johnson, alongside Grayson Allen, Jusuf Nurkić, and Nassir Little was traded to the Phoenix Suns as part of a three-team trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks and Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, Deandre Ayton, and a 2029 first-round draft pick to the Portland Trail Blazers.[21] The Suns later waived him on October 23 ahead of the 2023–24 regular season roster cut deadline.[22]

Brooklyn Nets (2023–present)[edit]

On November 1, 2023, Johnson signed a two-way contract with the Brooklyn Nets.[23]

Career statistics[edit]

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA[edit]

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 L.A. Clippers 15 0 9.0 .333 .273 .762 1.4 .9 .5 .1 3.5
2021–22 Portland 22 12 25.5 .357 .348 .833 2.7 2.9 1.0 .5 9.7
2022–23 Portland 40 0 10.4 .376 .346 .659 1.1 1.5 .5 .2 4.7
2023–24 Brooklyn 5 0 12.3 .381 .400 .917 1.4 .6 .6 .2 6.2
Career 82 12 14.3 .363 .346 .760 1.6 1.7 .6 .2 5.9

College[edit]

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020–21 Tennessee 27 17 25.5 .449 .271 .703 3.5 2.5 1.1 .4 11.3

Personal life[edit]

Johnson's mother, Conswella Sparrow Johnson, was a two-time Class AAA Tennessee Miss Basketball winner in high school and played college basketball for Auburn, where she was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection.[24]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Humphrey, Nancy (June 10, 2019). "Game On". Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  2. ^ Kreager, Tom (February 13, 2019). "How top prospect Keon Johnson, wanted by UT Vols and others, almost ended his career before it began". The Tennessean. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  3. ^ "2017-18 ALL-USA Tennessee Boys Basketball Team". USA Today High School Sports. April 16, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  4. ^ Kreager, Tom (March 1, 2019). "Keon Johnson, Tennessee's top 2020 basketball prospect, plays with edge, even if that means technicals". The Tennessean. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  5. ^ Kreager, Tom (March 5, 2019). "James Wiseman, top college basketball prospect in country, wins first Mr. Basketball honor". The Tennessean. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  6. ^ Kreager, Tom (December 17, 2019). "Tennessee basketball signee Keon Johnson injures knee, expected back before postseason". The Tennessean. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  7. ^ "Big in-state recruit Keon Johnson commits to Tennessee". WVLT-TV. August 6, 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  8. ^ Wilson, Mike (November 13, 2019). "Tennessee basketball signs three prominent recruits Wednesday". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  9. ^ "Johnson, Springer rally No. 11 Tennessee past Kentucky 82-71". ESPN. Associated Press. February 6, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  10. ^ Givony, Jonathan (April 7, 2021). "Tennessee Vols' Keon Johnson to declare for NBA draft". ESPN. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  11. ^ Taylor, Cody (June 24, 2021). "Keon Johnson shatters combine record with historic max vertical jump". Rookie Wire. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  12. ^ Wilson, Mike (July 29, 2021). "Tennessee basketball's Keon Johnson picked No. 21 by New York Knicks in 2021 NBA Draft". Knoxville News-Sentinel. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  13. ^ "Clippers Sign Keon Johnson To Rookie Contract". Hoops Rumors. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  14. ^ "Keon Johnson Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  15. ^ "Trail Blazers Acquire Eric Bledsoe, Keon Johnson and Justise Winslow". NBA.com. February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  16. ^ Peterson, Anne M. (February 25, 2022). "CURRY, WARRIORS RETURN FROM ALL-STAR BREAK TO ROUT BLAZERS". NBA.com. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  17. ^ Dominguez, Raul (April 1, 2022). "SPURS MAINTAIN 10TH PLACE IN WEST WITH BIG WIN OVER BLAZERS". NBA.com. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  18. ^ Fentress, Aaron (July 21, 2022). "Portland Trail Blazers summer league review". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  19. ^ Peterson, Anne M. (March 28, 2023). "INGRAM SCORES 29 AS PELICANS ROUT TRAIL BLAZERS 124-90". NBA.com. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  20. ^ "Trail Blazers' Keon Johnson: Suffers broken finger". CBSSports.com. March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  21. ^ "SUNS ACQUIRE NURKIĆ, ALLEN, LITTLE, JOHNSON". NBA.com. September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  22. ^ "Suns waive Keon Johnson, Bol Bol makes opening night roster". ArizonaSports.com. October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  23. ^ "Brooklyn Nets Sign Keon Johnson to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  24. ^ Kreager, Tom (February 13, 2018). "Webb's Keon Johnson dominates on court like mom did". The Tennessean. Retrieved May 5, 2020.

External links[edit]

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