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AJ Johnson (basketball)

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For the women's basketball player known as Amanda "AJ" Johnson, see Amanda Johnson.
AJ Johnson
No. 77 – Milwaukee Bucks
PositionPoint guard / shooting guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2004-12-01) December 1, 2004 (age 19)
Fresno, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight160 lb (73 kg)
Career information
High school
NBA draft2024: 1st round, 23rd overall pick
Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks
Playing career2023–present
Career history
2023–2024Illawarra Hawks
2024–presentMilwaukee Bucks
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Akeem Jamaal Johnson (born December 1, 2004) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). Johnson was ranked as one of the best combination guards in the 2023 class.

Early life and career

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Johnson was born in Fresno, California. He grew up around Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green and considered Green to be like a big brother.[1]

Sometime in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson had a growth spurt where he grew from 5 ft 10 to 6 ft 5.[2]

High school career

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Johnson started his high school career at a school in Fresno, California before spending two years at Taft High School where he emerged as one of the biggest risers in part of a growth spurt in the 2023 class being one of the best combo-guards.[1] Johnson for his senior year decided to attend Donda Academy, Kanye West's school in Simi Valley, California.[3] After Donda Academy closed, Johnson finished his senior year at Southern California Academy.[4]

Johnson signed with Bill Duffy and WME Basketball.[5]

Recruiting

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Johnson was seen as one of the best guards and combo guards in the 2023 class. At one point, Johnson was ranked as the 9th and 10th best player in the class by Rivals, ESPN, 247Sports and On3. On November 21, 2022, Johnson committed to the University of Texas choosing Texas over Louisville, USC, LSU and several other high-profile offers such as the NBL and NBA G League Ignite.[6] On April 13, 2023, Johnson announced his decommitment from Texas and announced his plan sign with the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League in Australia, joining LaMelo Ball, who went from a 2nd round pick to potential 1st pick with NBL's Next Stars program, as the second player to join the team out of high school.[5]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
AJ Johnson
PG 		Fresno, CA Southern California Academy (CA) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 165 lb (75 kg) — 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 87
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: —  247Sports: 24  ESPN: 47
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 24, 2024.

Professional career

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Illawarra Hawks (2023–2024)

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On April 13, 2023, Johnson signed a contract with the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League in Australia joining the NBL's Next Stars program. Johnson joined LaMelo Ball in 2019 as the other American born prospect to join the Hawks.[5] Johnson averaged 2.9 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game in 7.7 minutes a contest playing 26 games during his time with the Hawks.[7]

Milwaukee Bucks (2024–present)

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On June 26, 2024, Johnson was drafted with the 23rd overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2024 NBA draft.[8] It was called a "surprising pick" and a reach by an older Bucks team as Johnson was expected to be a selected somewhere in the second round, and was seen as a project despite late first round interest by teams.[9] On July 5, he signed with the Bucks.[10]

Johnson made his NBA debut on October 23, 2024, in a 124-109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.[11]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBL

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023–24 Illawarra 26 0 7.7 .367 .300 .538 1.3 .7 .2 .1 2.9

References

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  1. ^ a b Insight, Pro (July 4, 2022). "AJ Johnson Q&A". Pro Insight. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  2. ^ "Texas adds No. 25 prospect Johnson to class". ESPN.com. November 21, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  3. ^ Karamanos, Alex (August 11, 2022). "BREAKING: 2023 4-Star AJ Johnson will transfer to Donda Academy (CA)". Circuit Scouting. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  4. ^ "Donda players find programs; No. 8 recruit to OTE". ESPN.com. November 3, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Projected '24 lotto pick opts for NBL over Horns". ESPN.com. April 13, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  6. ^ Conway, Tyler. "5-Star Guard Prospect AJ Johnson Commits to Texas over Louisville, LSU, USC, More". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  7. ^ "AJ Johnson International Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  8. ^ "Milwaukee Bucks Select AJ Johnson With 23rd Pick In 2024 NBA Draft". NBA.com. June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  9. ^ "Bucks' AJ Johnson: Surprising pick at No. 23 to Bucks". CBSSports.com. June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  10. ^ "Milwaukee Bucks Sign AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith". NBA.com. July 5, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  11. ^ "Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers Box Score, October 23, 2024". BasketballRef. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
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