Next Step in the Journey

By: D. Scott Fritchen

Keyontae Johnson isn't sure where he'll watch the NBA Draft on June 22. He hasn't decided yet. There's a lot of uncertainty these days, and Johnson isn't alone. Across the country, prospects are working out for NBA teams, hoping for a chance. Most NBA scouting services project the 6-foot-4, 239-pound Johnson to be selected in the late first to second round.

But here's something that seems to be certain: Johnson is the best story of the draft. Here's a 23-year-old who appeared in 36 games (all starts) as a senior at Kansas State in 2022-23, averaging 17.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 34.1 minutes per game while hitting 51.6% from the floor and 40.5% from 3-point range. Here's a guy who earned Third Team All-America honors, All-Big 12 First Team accolades and Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. Here's a guy who grew up in Norfolk, Virginia, played his senior high school season at Oak Hill, signed with Florida, then experienced the medical emergency on December 12, 2020, during Florida's game at Florida State that left him three days in medically induced coma and sidelined him for the remainder of his junior (2020-21) and all of his senior (2021-22) seasons.

Uncertainty shrouded Johnson for two years before K-State head coach Jerome Tang believed in him, trusted in him, and gave the guard/forward a home in Manhattan last season.

Now Johnson, who was cleared by the NBA's Fitness to Play panel in late May to be selected in the NBA Draft, is working out with teams — he could only conduct interviews and undergo medical evaluation at the NBA Draft combine — and he has four workouts in a span of seven days.

That includes the Golden State Warriors. Johnson sat in a blue jersey with "WARRIORS" and "56" written in gold lettering across the chest during his post-workout interview on Monday and expressed gratitude for his journey.

"Every night, at least the night before I come to work out, I just take like 30 minutes to myself and just listen to music and cherish the moment," he said. "I call my friends, 'I'm really out here.'"

Does he tire of telling his story?

"It's my story to tell," he said. "The more that people ask the more comfortable I am telling it. I'm never tired of telling my inspiration to people. When people ask, I'm willing to tell them everything. Just never give up.

"A lot of people say I'm an inspiration to them."

That much is certain.

The journey from K-State to the NBA clearance? It seemed like it took forever — a visit to doctors at the Mayo Clinic to obtain up-to-date records followed by weeks of conditioning. Interviews in Chicago. Travel. More travel. Then workouts.

Johnson looked pretty good in Golden State colors. He grinned when asked about the club accustomed to winning NBA titles.

"Obviously Steph Curry is one of the best players I've ever seen," he said. "He's one of my favorite players. Just watching how they get up and down the court and move without the basketball, they're a fast-paced team and like to get out on the fast break. That's something I strive to do. I like to get out and dunk the ball and show that I can catch and shoot and this could be a good spot for me."

Johnson said that his focus is on shooting in workouts, particularly the 3-pointer, and showing that he can catch and shoot off the dribble. He said that he has studied NBA players such as PJ Tucker, who can knock down 3s and rebound at a high rate. Johnson said that he's using his quickness to attack bigger players and attack guards and said that he's reading the defense better. Johnson said that he continues to work on his assist-to-turnover ratio and making better decisions with the ball instead of taking the extra dribble. He added that he has worked on not becoming lax on defense.

"At Florida, I didn't take as many 3s, but Coach Tang did a great job of letting me showcase playing on the wing more and getting more open shots," he said. "A lot of plays ran through me this year, so I was able to showcase more than what I did at Florida. I feel like this year I showed I can catch and shoot and do something off the dribble and do it at a high rate."

At 23 years old, Johnson will carry age into the NBA, which he believes could be an advantage because he is more mature and ready to go.

"I should come in just knowing what it takes to get onto the floor," he said. "On this level, the guys that work the hardest are the most respected. I feel like I fit into those categories. I work hard and want to learn. I'm not the kind of guy who's scared to ask for help. I try to ask the older guys for help just to get myself better.

"I want to be on a winning team and do whatever it takes to win."

This much is certain: Already, Johnson is a winner.

Kansas State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Keyontae Johnson

Related Videos