San Antonio Spurs' Keldon Johnson 'Excited' to Prove Doubters Wrong

"I'm definitely excited," San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said. "We're ready to work. We've been working all summer."

Keldon Johnson has quietly carried himself as the San Antonio Spurs' best player for the past few years.

He hasn't made an All-Star team ... yet. But he certainly has All-Star upside — and if he continues to improve the way he has throughout his career thus far, he could prove exactly that, especially if he does so alongside Wembanyama.

"I'm definitely excited," Johnson said. "We're ready to work. We've been working all summer. ... I've grown a lot. I've put a lot of hard work and time into my body and my craft, so I'm ready. I'm excited to prove all the doubters wrong."

San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson / © Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson is almost a shoe-in for the starting lineup, with emphasis on almost simply because of Popovich's comments regarding Manu Ginobili, which puts him in a position to step up as a leader given his experience, but also to set the tone for the rest of his teammates. And to Johnson, that means continuing to learn and develop.

"I'm always excited to learn as a player," he said. "For me, I feel like it's about showing that I can defend. I'm an elite defender, and that's the part of my game I'm ready to show off."

As Johnson enters the first year of his four-year extension this year, he's got his sights set on winning, as well as welcoming his new 7-4 teammate, despite the spotlights.

"Vic is such a humble kid," Johnson said. "I feel like personally, the media attention doesn't affect us. He's so humble, he doesn't let the hype come into his life. ... He's been outgoing, humble, great, energetic, playful ... he's been great." 

Johnson, Wembanyama and the rest of the Spurs open the season in three weeks against the Dallas Mavericks. Tipoff is scheduled for Oct. 25 at 8:30 p.m.