Akeem Jamaal Johnson (born December 1, 2004) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). Johnson was ranked as one of the best combination guards in the 2023 class.
| No. 77 – Milwaukee Bucks | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard / shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 1, 2004 Fresno, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 160 lb (73 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| NBA draft | 2024: 1st round, 23rd overall pick |
| Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–2024 | Illawarra Hawks |
| 2024–present | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2024 | →Wisconsin Herd |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Early life and career
editJohnson was born in Fresno, California. He grew up around Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green and considered Green to be like a big brother.[1]
Sometime in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson had a growth spurt where he grew from 5 ft 10 to 6 ft 5.[2]
High school career
editJohnson started his high school career at a school in Fresno, California before spending two years at Taft High School where he emerged as one of the biggest risers in part of a growth spurt in the 2023 class being one of the best combo-guards.[1] Johnson for his senior year decided to attend Donda Academy, Kanye West's school in Simi Valley, California.[3] After Donda Academy closed, Johnson finished his senior year at Southern California Academy.[4]
Johnson signed with Bill Duffy and WME Basketball.[5]
Recruiting
editJohnson was seen as one of the best guards and combo guards in the 2023 class. At one point, Johnson was ranked as the 9th and 10th best player in the class by Rivals, ESPN, 247Sports and On3. On November 21, 2022, Johnson committed to the University of Texas choosing Texas over Louisville, USC, LSU and several other high-profile offers such as the NBL and NBA G League Ignite.[6] On April 13, 2023, Johnson announced his decommitment from Texas and announced his plan sign with the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League in Australia, joining LaMelo Ball, who went from a 2nd round pick to potential 1st pick with NBL's Next Stars program, as the second player to join the team out of high school.[5]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AJ Johnson PG |
Fresno, CA | Southern California Academy (CA) | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | — | |
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 87
| ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: — 247Sports: 24 ESPN: 47 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
Professional career
editIllawarra Hawks (2023–2024)
editOn April 13, 2023, Johnson signed a contract with the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League in Australia joining the NBL's Next Stars program. Johnson joined LaMelo Ball in 2019 as the other American born prospect to join the Hawks.[5] Johnson averaged 2.9 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game in 7.7 minutes a contest playing 26 games during his time with the Hawks.[7]
Milwaukee Bucks / Wisconsin Herd (2024–present)
editOn June 26, 2024, Johnson was drafted with the 23rd overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2024 NBA draft.[8] It was called a "surprising pick" and a reach by an older Bucks team as Johnson was expected to be a selected somewhere in the second round, and was seen as a project despite late first round interest by teams.[9] On July 5, he signed with the Bucks.[10]
Johnson made his NBA debut on October 23, 2024, in a 124-109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.[11]
Career statistics
edit| 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 |
NBL
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Illawarra | 26 | 0 | 7.7 | .367 | .300 | .538 | 1.3 | .7 | .2 | .1 | 2.9 |
References
edit- ^ a b Insight, Pro (July 4, 2022). "AJ Johnson Q&A". Pro Insight. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ "Texas adds No. 25 prospect Johnson to class". ESPN.com. November 21, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ Karamanos, Alex (August 11, 2022). "BREAKING: 2023 4-Star AJ Johnson will transfer to Donda Academy (CA)". Circuit Scouting. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ "Donda players find programs; No. 8 recruit to OTE". ESPN.com. November 3, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Projected '24 lotto pick opts for NBL over Horns". ESPN.com. April 13, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ Conway, Tyler. "5-Star Guard Prospect AJ Johnson Commits to Texas over Louisville, LSU, USC, More". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ "AJ Johnson International Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ "Milwaukee Bucks Select AJ Johnson With 23rd Pick In 2024 NBA Draft". NBA.com. June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- ^ "Bucks' AJ Johnson: Surprising pick at No. 23 to Bucks". CBSSports.com. June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ "Milwaukee Bucks Sign AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith". NBA.com. July 5, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ "Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers Box Score, October 23, 2024". BasketballRef. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
External links
edit- Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
- NBL profile