Keldon Johnson has gone from promising young player to franchise centerpiece to trade machine fodder and is now the sixth man on a Finals team. For him, the long journey was worth it.
For most of his career, Keldon Johnson was a solid player on a bad team. His career has been full of surprises and adversities, dating back to before he even joined the San Antonio Spurs.
Heading into his freshman season with Kentucky in 2018, Johnson was expected to be a lottery pick in the 2019 Draft. Instead, he slid all the way to 29th overall, landing on the Spurs and spending most of his rookie year in the G League.
He slowly found his footing, developing a head-down, physical playstyle, and rounding it out with a reliable 3-point shot. From 2021-23, it looked like he would be a franchise cornerstone moving forward. Then, he stopped improving. The Spurs had just signed him to a long-term deal, and it looked like he was taking a step back.
He became a staple of mock trades and rumors, although this season he finally settled into a bench role, took on more of a leadership position, and played a massive part in getting the Spurs to the playoffs for the first time in his career.
Keldon Johnson Details Demotion With Spurs
There was a time where Johnson probably wished he wasn't in San Antonio.
Publicly, he's said all the right things. "This is home." "I love my team." Stuff like that. But behind the scenes, the losing and slowly watching his role get reduced probably took a toll.
Once the Spurs started righting the ship and returned to their winning ways, however, Johnson realized it was all worth it.
"I feel like it was a point where you look in the mirror, and you want to be a part of something special, or you want to chase personal goals," he explained. "Being here and being throughout the season and winning has been the ultimate reward. Everything was worth it. I went from being the guy to coming off the bench and being Sixth Man, but I feel like winning is the most addictive thing in this league. This year is a testament to that. Being able to win and contribute towards winning means more than anything that I've done in the past."
That's a very "Spursy" way of looking at things. Superstars like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili could have easily led teams of their own, but instead played second and third fiddle to Tim Duncan.
Ginobili is a Hall of Fame player, one of the best to ever suit up, and is best-known for being a backup.
Hopefully, with just four more wins, Johnson will be best known for being a champion.
