Due to the beat, the key player of thunder was still beating,and it led to…
Despite questioning whether he would ever be able to play basketball again, Keyontae Johnson keeps overcoming the obstacles. Another big turning point in his career is the G League Next Up Game.
Four hours ago, Ryan Steele
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Recalling his on-court scare, Keyontae Johnson told Inside the Thunder, “The doctor told me I was not going to be able to play anymore when I first woke up at the hospital.”
Keyontae Johnson’s journey has taken a circuitous route from his startling collapse on the court at the University of Florida and subsequent return to action for the Kansas State Wildcats to now, just over three years later, being at the NBA All-Star Weekend as the first player in OKC Blue history to be named to the G League Next Up Game.
Johnson, who was diagnosed with “athlete’s heart” at the age of 21, passed out on the University of Florida court. Johnson’s parents quickly advised him not to settle for that, saying he could get a second opinion after the first doctor told the Johnson family of his diagnosis and said he would never play basketball again.
Johnson stated to Inside the Thunder, “I wanted to stick with basketball once I knew there were second opinions I could get.” “My journey was up and down, with many challenges. The main thing that [truly helped] was having the right support system around me to keep my sanity and to stay focused. It has not been easy.”
Johnson had a difficult choice to make because going back to the floor would have required him to give up his assured $5 million insurance policy in order to follow his passion.
Even inside the NBA, current Thunder head coach and former OKC Blue bench boss Mark Daigneault claims that the NBA G League is frequently perceived as an “invisible league.” Johnson has therefore spent his season parked with the Blue, making it easy to ignore the astounding things he is accomplishing.
After being chosen for the NBA G League Next Up Game, the rookie is about to make his debut during All-Star Weekend.
It simply demonstrates how committed I was to seeing things through to the end. That means a lot. simply to keep trying,” Johnson exclaimed. “I’ve been playing basketball for the past two years after my injury. Just showcasing the development I’ve had in the years since I stopped sitting out.”
The rookie is averaging 18.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.6 rebounds per game in G League play. He is also shooting 54% from the field, 39% from 3-point range, and 79% from the charity stripe. The Kansas State product has been able to capitalize on 42% of his catch-and-shoot looks while shining on the glass for his size, in transition, and as a cutter with the Blue.
His upbringing is credited with improving his all-around game. Johnson told Inside the Thunder that as a child, his father would take him to the military base so he could run, and this experience helped shape the player he is today.
“Playing against older men, learning how to play through contact when I was younger—that all plays a part,” Johnson recalled.
The father of the Thunder rookie has consistently been an important ally and impartial assessor. When Kameron Woods visited the Johnson family during the summer, Keyontae’s father was giving Woods the scouting report while he worked out.
According to Johnson, “Every time [Kameron Woods] sees me, he says my dad did not lie,” Inside the Thunder reported.
The rookie swingman has always found Woods’ relationship with Johnson’s family to be particularly noteworthy, and it provided insight into how the Thunder distinguish themselves from other teams, even during the predraft process.
“I sensed the connection with the coaches and the general excitement among all of them to work.” You get to laugh, compete, and relate to the coaches on a young staff, which made the workout more entertaining,” Johnson exclaimed.
He improved his ability to play multiple positions not only from his intense workouts on the military base, where he learned to play through contact, but also from his constantly shifting role.
“I had to play big, like the 4 or 5, because I was the tallest player on the team when I was younger, about 8 or 9 [years old],” Johnson recalled in an interview with Inside the Thunder. “I suppose you could say that, translating that to middle school, I didn’t really experience my growth spurt until my ninth or tenth grade year; I went from being five feet eight inches to about six feet three inches. I had to play a lot of point guard my freshman year, but I was able to play this way because of my height in my tenth or eleventh grade year, Johnson told Inside the Thunder.
Johnson now aspires to wear a professional jersey like his current Thunder teammates. Johnson is undoubtedly following the same route as Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Lindy Waters III, who all began their careers in Bricktown on a two-way contract before signing a typical NBA contract. The rookie has maintained relationships with his colleagues in the association despite appearing in just seven NBA games this season.
Regarding his experience with the OKC franchise thus far, Johnson said, “It has been good. Me and Chet [Holmgren] talk a lot when I am up there with them. [Jalen Williams] as well; we play the same position, just trying to learn from guys that are in the NBA.” “We get along really well. Simply spending time with them, attempting to absorb their knowledge, and applying it to the G League.
