EXCLUSIVE: Keyontae Johnson Beats the Odds, with an NBA All-Star Weekend Appearance As Next Career Milestone
"When I first woke up at the hospital, the doctor told me I was not going to be able to play anymore," Keyontae Johnson told Inside the Thunder when thinking back to his on-court scare.
From shockingly collapsing on the court at the University of Florida then returning to the floor for the Kansas State Wildcats, to now just over three years later being at NBA All-Star Weekend as the first player in OKC Blue history to be named to the G League Next Up Game, Keyontae Johnson's journey has seen a winding road.
At the age of 21, Johnson collapsed on the court at the University of Florida with a heart condition labeled as "Athlete's Heart". The initial doctor informed the Johnson family of his diagnosis and declared he would never play basketball again, but his parents immediately told him not to settle for that, explaining he could get a second opinion.
"Once I knew there was second opinions I could get, I wanted to stick with basketball," Johnson told Inside the Thunder. "[My Journey was] up and down, a lot of challenges, me having the right circle around me to keep my head straight and just keeping me focused is the main thing [really helped]. It has been tough."
That was a tough decision to make for Johnson, as any return to the floor would be a decision that meant forfeiting a guaranteed $5 million insurance policy to continue pursuing his dream.
The NBA G League is often viewed as an "Invisible League," according to current Thunder head coach and former OKC Blue bench boss Mark Daigneault, even within the NBA. So as Johnson has spent his season parked with the Blue, it is easy to overlook the eye-popping things he is doing.
Now, the rookie is on the doorstep of his first All-Star Weekend appearance after being selected to the NBA G League Next Up Game.
“It means a lot, just showing how dedicated I was to stick through how dedicated I was to stick through with everything. Just to not give up on myself," Johnson declared. "It's my second year back playing basketball since my injury. Just showing the progression I have made over the years since I have been sitting out."
In G League play, the rookie is averaging 18.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.6 stocks per game while shooting 54 percent from the floor, 39 percent from 3-point land, and 79 percent at the charity stripe. With the Blue, the Kansas State product has been able to shine on the glass for his size, in transition, and as a cutter, all while cashing in 42 percent of his catch-and-shoot looks.
His all-around game is attributed to his upbringing. Johnson told Inside the Thunder that his dad would take him to the military base to get runs in as a kid, which molded who he is on the court today.
"Playing against older men, learning how to play through contact when I was younger, that all plays a part," Johnson recollected.
The Thunder rookie's father has always been a key supporter but a fair evaluator. Over the Summer, Kameron Woods took a trip to meet the Johnson family, and as Keyontae was working out his dad was giving Woods the scouting report.
"Every time [Kameron Woods] sees me, he says my dad did not lie," Johnson told Inside the Thunder.
Woods' rapport with Johnson's family has always stuck out to the rookie swingman, and it shined a light into how the Thunder — even in the predraft process — separates themselves from other teams.
“I felt the connection with the coaches, and just the energy, everybody in there was just excited to work. It made the workout more entertaining, you get to laugh, compete, and relate to the coaches on a young staff," Johnson proclaimed,.
Along with his rigorous workouts on the military base learning to play through contact, his constantly changing role also improved his skills playing multiple positions.
"When I was young — around 8 to 9 [years old] — I was the tallest person on the team, so I had to play the big, like the 4 or 5," Johnson recalled with Inside the Thunder. "And I guess being able to translate that over to middle school, I didn't really hit my growth spurt until my ninth or tenth-grade year, I went from 5-foot-8 to like 6-foot-3. My freshman year I had to play a lot of point guard, but my tenth or eleventh-grade year my height allowed me to play this way,” Johnson detailed to Inside the Thunder.
Now, Johnson hopes to follow in the footsteps of his current Thunder teammates on his professional jersey. Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Lindy Waters III each started on a two-way pact in Bricktown before inking a standard NBA deal, which is certainly the path Johnson is on. Despite playing in just seven NBA games so far, the rookie has stayed connected to his peers in the association.
“It has been good, Me and Chet [Holmgren] talk a lot when I am up there with them, [Jalen Williams] as well we play the same position just trying to learn from guys that are in the NBA," said Johnson of his experience with the OKC franchise thus far. "We have a great connection. Just being around them, trying to learn from them, and translate it to the G League.”
Fellow 2023 Thunder draftee Cason Wallace has enjoyed Johnson's presence when he's with the Thunder, further quantifying the connection this team has.
"It has been cool, I like when he comes back, because you know we got drafted together, I feel like I have a buddy," Wallace said of Johnson.
At times, the G League grind can get overwhelming, which is something the former No. 50 overall pick has felt this season. This is expected though, as travel and a busy schedule is something every player goes through at this level.
“We finished a game in Mexico City and got back to the Hotel at 11 a.m. and had a 3 a.m. departure. We didn't get back to Oklahoma City until like 4 or 5 p.m," OKC Blue coach Kameron Woods explained to Inside the Thunder. "There is no faking who you are at 3 or 4 a.m. when you've slept for two hours. You grind with these guys, you go through it with them, it is just a more tight-knit environment.”
The G League is simply part of the process for players with ambitions of sticking in the NBA. It may not feel the most glamorous, but it provides important reps.
"No one grows up dreaming of playing for the OKC Blue or in the NBA G League,” Woods explained. "These players have a lot of aspirations outside of where they are right now. I think it is easy for players to get lost in who got called up, who got a ten-day, who got a two-way, and there are many ways to look at your season as an individual failure if you did not hit a certain mark. So I think this game, and recognizing the talent in this league is important, it is an opportunity to add something else besides what everyone is gunning for in ten days and two ways.”
Even then, the opportunity to compete at NBA All-Star Weekend is a testament to the work and a well-deserved honor for Johnson. The Next Up Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 18, in a four-team tournament. The Thunder rookie will be coached by YouTube Sensation Kristopher London and take on team Ball is Life to open the tournament at 12:30 p.m. CT.
While this benchmark is a welcomed accolade, Johnson still has room to grow during the second part of his rookie season. After learning the Blue system, which is nearly identical to that of the Thunder.
“I think when you get past that step of learning the system, now it is really getting lost in competing. I think young players early on try to get things right more often than not, which is kinda appropriate," Woods told Inside the Thunder. "The next step is getting lost in competing, and that is where you can see guys’ game take off, and it has happened to a ton of players before, and he is certainly in that category.”
As Johnson looks to take the next step, it is important to look back at how far the 23-year-old has already come.
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