Keon Johnson (basketball, born 2002)

Christopher Keon Johnson is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers.

Keon Johnson
No. 6 – Portland Trail Blazers
PositionShooting guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2002-03-10) March 10, 2002
Shelbyville, Tennessee
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High schoolThe Webb School
(Bell Buckle, Tennessee)
CollegeTennessee (2020–2021)
NBA draft2021 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21st overall
Selected by the New York Knicks
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2022Los Angeles Clippers
2021–2022→Agua Caliente Clippers
2022–presentPortland Trail Blazers
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

Early life and high school career

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

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:   247Sports:    ESPN:   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

    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

    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.[12] In his rookie year, Johnson played in only 15 games for the Clippers.[13]

    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.[14][15][16]

    Career statistics
    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
    Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
    2021–22 L.A. Clippers 1509.0.333.273.7621.4.9.5.13.5
    2021–22 Portland 221225.5.357.348.8332.72.91.0.59.7
    Career 371218.8.353.340.8042.22.1.8.37.2

    College
    Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
    2020–21 Tennessee 271725.5.449.271.7033.52.51.1.411.3

    Personal life

    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.[17]

    References
    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. "Keon Johnson Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
    14. Dewald, Steve (4 February 2022). "Incoming Rookie Brings Defense, Athleticism to Blazers". Blazer's Edge. Retrieved 5 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
    15. "Trail Blazers Acquire Eric Bledsoe, Keon Johnson and Justise Winslow". NBA. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
    16. Ray, Matt (4 February 2022). "Former Vol Keon Johnson Traded During First NBA Season". Fan Nation - Volunteer Country. Retrieved 5 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
    17. Kreager, Tom (February 13, 2018). "Webb's Keon Johnson dominates on court like mom did". The Tennessean. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.