Keldon Johnson is the longest-tenured player on the San Antonio Spurs, and he has finally found a role that works for him. Fans who once called for him to be traded are now embracing him as a core piece.
There was a time not that long ago when Keldon Johnson and Dejounte Murray were billed as franchise centerpieces. The San Antonio Spurs long knew that wasn't the case, at least on the court. Murray was traded in a savvy deal that helped the Spurs tank for Victor Wembanyama, but Johnson survived the rumors.
Fans, during Johnson's run as a starter, took to social media calling for him to be traded. After all, he was misused in San Antonio, his salary was easy to move, and he could have brought back young, rebuilding pieces to the Spurs.
Despite the inclusion in trade rumors, Johnson's desire to remain in San Antonio never wavered. He's slotted into the Sixth Man Role, bought into his new job, and is the beating heart of the team.
Fans who once wanted him run out of town have qucikly changed their tune.
Johnson Could Be Next Spurs' 'Lifer'
Johnson's effort was never questioned, but his playstyle often was. This season, he's one of the best bench shooters in the NBA, and he also adds rebounding, physicality, and locker-room leadership.
He's long relished playing in San Antonio, even when fans had turned on him. Now that the team is winning and he's playing a central part in their success, his long-term future in San Antonio isn't questioned.
"Winning is just the most important thing for me right now," he said after a 27-point masterclass over the Los Angeles Lakers. "And just giving my teammates all I got each and every night and putting us in the best situation and doing my job so we can win."
Fans, it seems, have finally embraced his energy and impact.
During his peak scoring years, he was asked to do too much. The Spurs did not have a winning roster, and in the modern NBA, someone has to score 20 points a night. As the best player on a bad team, Johnson drew some unfair ire from fans, but his occasional boneheadedness and costly cold nights did catch up to him, reducing his role as the Spurs built around Wembanyama.
However, he's been able to weather the storm. Is he a superstar? Not at all, but the great NBA teams understand that locker room and fan favorites are incredibly important. Johnson brings all that to the table, and he's a great player in the right role, as well.