Dakari Johnson facts for kids
Johnson in Kentucky's Blue-White scrimmage in 2013
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| No. 41 – [[Changsha Wantian Yongsheng|Changsha Wantian Yongsheng]] | ||||||||||||||
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | September 22, 1995 Brooklyn, New York, U.S |
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| High school |
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| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 255 lb (116 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Kentucky (2013–2015) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2015 / Round: 2 / Pick: 48th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2015–present | |||||||||||||
| League | National Basketball League | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Oklahoma City Blue | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Oklahoma City Thunder | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2022 | Qingdao Eagles | |||||||||||||
| 2019 | Anhui Wenyi | |||||||||||||
| 2023 | Anhui Wenyi | |||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Qingdao Eagles | |||||||||||||
| 2024 | Anhui Wenyi | |||||||||||||
| 2025– | Changsha Wantian Yongsheng | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Dakari Naeem Johnson (born September 22, 1995) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Changsha Wantian Yongsheng team in China's National Basketball League. This league is the second highest level of professional basketball in China. Before becoming a pro, Dakari played college basketball for the University of Kentucky.
Contents
High School Basketball Journey
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Dakari Johnson first went to St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, New Jersey. In 2011, his coach, Kevin Boyle, moved to Montverde Academy. Dakari followed him there. He had to sit out the 2011–12 basketball season because of the transfer rules.
Because he was a great student, Dakari decided to finish high school early. This meant the 2012–13 season was his last year of high school basketball. During that year, he played really well. He scored about 17 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and blocked 4.3 shots per game. For his amazing performance, he was named to the USA Today All-American Second-Team. He also got to play in two special games for top high school players: the 2013 McDonald's All-American Boys Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.
Experts at ESPN.com thought Dakari was a top player. They ranked him as the second-best center in the country for 2013.
College Basketball Career
Dakari Johnson started playing for the University of Kentucky in the 2013–14 season. As a freshman, he was a backup player, meaning he came off the bench to support his teammates. He played in 39 games and averaged 5.2 points and 3.9 rebounds.
In his second year (sophomore season), 2014–15, he continued to be a backup. He played behind other talented players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein. He played in 39 games again and improved his stats slightly, averaging 6.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
On April 9, 2015, Dakari decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he would leave college two years early to try and play professionally. Many of his Kentucky teammates also entered the draft that year.
Professional Basketball Career
Starting with Oklahoma City Blue (2015–2017)
On June 25, 2015, the Oklahoma City Thunder picked Dakari Johnson in the 2015 NBA draft. He was the 48th player chosen overall. He then joined the Thunder for the 2015 NBA Summer League, where he showed off his skills.
On November 3, 2015, Dakari joined the Oklahoma City Blue. This team is connected to the Thunder and plays in the NBA Development League (now called the G-League). On November 14, he played his first professional game. He scored 16 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Dakari played in all 50 games for the Blue during the 2015–16 season. He averaged 12.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. Because of his strong first year, he was named to the NBA D-League All-Rookie Team.
He played for the Blue again in the 2016–17 season. On February 6, 2017, he was chosen to be an All-Star for the NBA D-League All-Star Game.
Playing for Oklahoma City Thunder (2017–2018)
On July 22, 2017, Dakari Johnson signed a contract to play for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA. He scored his first NBA points on October 19, 2017, in a game against the New York Knicks.
During his time with the Thunder, he started six games as the team's center. He filled in for Steven Adams. The team won 5 out of those 6 games when Dakari was a starter. He played well in these games, helping his team win.
On July 20, 2018, Dakari was traded to the Orlando Magic. A few days later, on July 23, 2018, he was traded again to the Memphis Grizzlies. However, on August 31, 2018, the Grizzlies decided to release him from their team.
Playing in China: Qingdao Eagles (2018–2019)
On September 11, 2018, news came out that Dakari Johnson had signed with the Qingdao DoubleStar Eagles. This team plays in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), which is China's top professional basketball league.
Anhui Wenyi (2019)
In August 2019, Dakari played for Anhui Wenyi in the National Basketball League (NBL). This is a different league in China. He had a very successful season there, helping his team win a championship. He was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NBL Finals that year.
Back with the Eagles (2019–2022)
Dakari returned to the Qingdao Eagles for the 2019–20 season. He continued to play strongly, averaging 23.7 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. On September 9, 2020, he re-signed with the Qingdao team.
NBA Career Statistics
| 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 |
Regular Season Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Oklahoma City | 31 | 6 | 5.2 | .564 | – | .550 | 1.1 | .3 | .2 | .3 | 1.8 |
| Career | 31 | 6 | 5.2 | .564 | – | .550 | 1.1 | .3 | .2 | .3 | 1.8 | |
Playoff Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Oklahoma City | 2 | 0 | 1.6 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Career | 2 | 0 | 1.6 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | |
Dakari's Family and Life
Dakari Johnson comes from a family of basketball players in Brooklyn, New York. He is the third generation in his family to play the sport. His grandfather, Leslie R. Campbell, also known as Jitu Weusi, played college basketball at Long Island University.
Dakari's mother, Makini Campbell, also played basketball at Long Island University. His uncle, Kojo Campbell, played at Stony Brook University. His brother, Kamani Johnson, played college basketball at Arkansas-Little Rock and then at Arkansas. His cousin, Michael Murray, played at Coppin State University and later played professionally in Spain.
Dakari is married to Mercedes Johnson. They got engaged in 2020 and have two children together.
See also
In Spanish: Dakari Johnson (baloncestista de 1995) para niños
