London Johnson Q&A

Credit: @_jophoto (IG)

A dual citizen of the U.S. and Jamaica, class of 2023 top-30 recruit London Johnson had the opportunity to suit up for Jamaica at the 2021 FIBA Centrobasket U17 Championship in Mexicali, Mexico earlier this month. An elite floor general who possesses translatable tools and skillset at the next level, Johnson earned all-tournament team honors while averaging a tournament-high 36.0 points per game, along with 9.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists on 57.8 FG%, 46.7 3P%, and 87.5 FT% shooting splits. Nearing a college decision, the 6’4” guard will choose from a top-6 list consisting of Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, USC, and Clemson.

As part of the Pro Insight Q&A series, Johnson talked about his experience with the Jamaican National Team, his upcoming college decision, his musical talents, and much more.

For the next installment of the Pro Insight Q&A series, we present 2023 prospect London Johnson, from Atlanta, Georgia:

Pro Insight: How did you get to where you are today?

London Johnson: Really, since I was a young kid, my family and I have been moving around. I’ve lived in seven different states at the moment. And that's really just been up to my parents. Then moving around, I got to meet different people. And ever since I was around five, I've been playing basketball, so I've been just growing up playing basketball in different states and getting better at different styles of play as I've been moving.

PI: Any other athletes in the family?

LJ: My dad played at Cincinnati State when he played. Then he got injured, so that’s when he’s career ended.

PI: As you’ve said, your family has moved a lot — can you talk about the recent move from North Carolina to Georgia?

LJ: I’d say it has its ups and downs. I kind of like Georgia better, it’s like a double Charlotte. So everything is doubled here and then I moved during COVID, so it was hard at the start to get in the gym but when I moved to Atlanta, it was way easier — all the gyms are mainly open.

PI: How did the opportunity come about to attend and play at Norcross (GA)?

LJ: Really, my old coach for Team United, they used to be a EYBL team, his name is Nick Johnson. He connected me with Jordan Goldwire and with his dad. And then we're narrowing down our schools and we had McEachern (GA), Pace Academy (GA), and Norcross (GA), and we ended up picking Norcross because they didn't really have a main player there. I know at Pace they had Matthew Cleveland and at McEachern, they had Cam McDowell and a kid that went to Arkansas. So Norcross seemed like the best fit for me.

PI: Did you play any other sports growing up?

LJ: I played baseball and football a little bit when I was younger, but as I just started to move around a lot, I kind of just stuck with one sport.

PI: What are your current measurements?

LJ: I'm 6’4”, weigh 175 pounds and I'm pretty sure my wingspan is like 6’6”.

PI: For those who aren’t familiar with your game, what are your greatest strengths and what’s your play style?

LJ: Really, my greatest strength is the way I read the ball screen — that's the main reason I got recruited to go to college is the way I read the ball game and I can score and also get my teammates involved. I'll say I’m a floor general. And then my play style — it's kind of similar to Chris Paul, I’d say.

PI: Besides CP3, who do you model your game after and try to study on film?

LJ: I like to watch Steph Curry a lot. He's a very exciting player. He shoots some crazy shots and makes it more entertaining to watch, as well. I feel like he shoots the ball very well, and he gets his teammates involved also similar to what I can do on the court.

PI: What do you feel you still need to improve on the most? What have you been working on?

LJ: Really, the main thing has been getting in the weight room, getting more athletic, getting stronger, and also extending my range to shooting further and further away from the basket. And then, also, contact finishing.

PI: Do you have a training regimen? Who do you train with?

LJ: Yeah, I'm not sure. Have you heard of James May? Right now, I'm pretty sure he's with the Brooklyn Nets. He's a skills development coach over there. When he's not in the league or coaching somewhere, he's back in Atlanta — that's who I work out with sometimes. For shooting, we start close, have to make 50 in a row form shots and I back up a step, and each time I back up I have to make… it goes 50, 25, 15, 10 and then five threes all in a row. I do that usually without jumping, as I make my way back. That's like my warmup.

PI: What are your short term goals you have for yourself as a player?

LJ: The main goal I’d say is hopefully we can win a state championship.

PI: Talk about your experience with the Jamaican National Team. How did this opportunity come about?

LJ: The main reason it came about…I had got my dual citizenship, so I'm a citizen of Jamaica and the U.S., and the Jamaican National Team coach had reached out to my family. And they thought it was a good idea for me to go play for the country, so that's really how it came about.

PI: Which of your family members has Jamaican ties?