Former Lakers Forward Heavily Disagrees With Common ‘Bust’ Labels

The NBA world can certainly be brutal at times... especially if a player who was hyped up coming out of high school and college does not pan out. This social media and highlight mixtape era has completely changed fan expectations all around and it's tough to truly please everyone.

But when Stanley Johnson signed a ten-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2021-2022 season, many basketball fans recognized his name and for good reason. 247 Sports had him ranked as the third best player in the nation in his graduating class of 2014 after he dominated at one of the best high schools in the country in Mater Dei.

Johnson was selected 8th overall in the 2015 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons and even though he was coined as a two-way star off the jump, his numbers failed to show it.

In his first four seasons with the squad, he never cracked double digits in points per game nor shot over 40 percent from the field. He had flashes of being an elite perimeter defender but the offensive limitations were clear. The former lottery pick then spent some time with the Toronto Raptors before signing with the Lakers' G-League squad and working his way up to the actual roster.

Johnson played with a ton of heart near the end of the LA's disappointing 2022 season and even though he became a fan favorite, he ended up being a part of the Patrick Beverley trade. He currently is not on an official NBA roster but remains in the G-League and he recently sounded off on fans that call him a bust, during an appearance on the Taco Bout It podcast.

"I think I could have been better," said Johnson. "I truly believe that, a bust... I don't know. I'm sorry that you guys traded me for a player that never played. Bust means you didn't try, bust means you didn't do s**t. Was I a bust meaning did I do my expectation for the Pistons? Hell no and I'm not okay with that, meaning like I wanted to f*****g fix that too but I did my best."

We hope to see Johnson back on an NBA roster soon and seeing that the Phoenix Suns brought him in for a workout recently, he has a chance!

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