Jalen Johnson reflects on his unwavering "Plan A" mentality, fueled by childhood inspiration, as he celebrates a surreal All-Star Weekend debut.
Long before he became a featured scorer for the Atlanta Hawks, Jalen Johnson had already settled on one truth: there would be no alternative path.
Growing up in Milwaukee, Johnson said conversations about a fallback career never resonated. Teachers, mentors, and adults in his life would encourage him to think pragmatically — to consider what he might do if basketball did not work out. Johnson never allowed himself to frame the future that way.
In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Johnson said that unwavering outlook was reinforced by a draft-night story he consumed repeatedly as a child. The video chronicled the journey of Milwaukee native Wesley Matthews, whose path to the NBA provided both representation and reinforcement.
“I just remember watching (Wesley Matthews’) draft YouTube story,” Johnson said. “It’s called ‘(There is) no plan B.’ He was basically saying the same thing, like, ‘there’s no plan B. Plan A is gonna work regardless’.”
The message was not casual motivation. It became routine.
Johnson described replaying the video almost daily, often while doing pushups in his bedroom, convincing himself he was progressing toward something larger than the moment.
“And I used to watch that every day as a kid, (or) close to every day,” Johnson said. “Had my little iPad, and I’m just doing pushups in my room, just doing random little things, where I feel like I’m doing so much.”
The repetition mattered. Seeing Matthews — someone from the same city, navigating similar beginnings — reach the NBA shifted Johnson’s dream from abstract to attainable.
“Especially having a guy like Wes make it out of the same city that I’m from, it meant a lot,” Johnson said. “It made it seem possible.”
Years later, the possibility has become production.
Johnson completed All-Star weekend at Intuit Dome after averaging 23.3 points, 10.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists through 56 games. His 28.8% usage rate ranks among the highest for NBA forwards, reflecting not only efficiency but responsibility within Atlanta’s offensive structure.
He participated in the Shooting Stars challenge and contributed dunks and perimeter shots during the tournament-style All-Star Game, moments that resonated with Hawks fans and underscored his evolution from rotational prospect to franchise centerpiece.
For Johnson, the milestone carried perspective.
“I’m so excited just to go out there and say I’m in the All-Star Game — not watching the All-Star Game, like, I’m in it,” Johnson said.
The statement reflected presence rather than arrival. Johnson’s journey has included draft-night uncertainty, G League minutes, and injury setbacks, but the original premise never wavered.
There was no Plan B.
And as his fifth NBA season unfolds, Plan A continues to expand — not as a childhood vision, but as a sustained reality.