Keldon Johnson facts for kids
Johnson with Kentucky in 2018
|
||||||||||||||
| No. 0 – San Antonio Spurs | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small forward / shooting guard | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | October 11, 1999 Chesterfield, Virginia, U.S. |
|||||||||||||
| High school |
|
|||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Kentucky (2018–2019) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 29th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the San Antonio Spurs | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2019–present | |||||||||||||
| League | NBA | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–present | San Antonio Spurs | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | →Austin Spurs | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Keldon Wilder Johnson (born October 11, 1999) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Keldon was picked in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs. This was the 29th overall pick. In 2021, he won a gold medal at the Olympics. He was part of the United States national team.
Contents
Keldon Johnson's Early Life and High School
Keldon Johnson went to Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. He was considered a top basketball player in his high school class of 2018. Experts like 247Sports.com ranked him as the 13th best player.
He decided to play college basketball at the University of Kentucky. Other talented players joined him there. These included Immanuel Quickley, E. J. Montgomery, Ashton Hagans, and Tyler Herro.
College Basketball Journey
As a freshman at Kentucky, Keldon played very well. He scored about 13.5 points per game. He also grabbed nearly 6 rebounds per game. He shot the ball well, making 46.1% of his shots. He was especially good from the three-point line, hitting 38.1% of those.
One memorable game was against top-ranked Tennessee. Keldon scored 19 points in that win on February 16, 2019. He also had a career-high 17 rebounds in a game against Auburn. After his freshman year, he decided to enter the NBA draft.
Becoming an NBA Star
Joining the San Antonio Spurs
On June 20, 2019, the San Antonio Spurs drafted Keldon Johnson. He was the 29th player chosen overall in the 2019 NBA draft. The Spurs got this draft pick in a trade from 2018. In that trade, they sent Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. In return, they received DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Pöltl, and the draft pick used to select Keldon.
Keldon joined the Spurs for the 2019 NBA Summer League. He officially signed with the team on July 1, 2019. Later, on October 30, 2019, he was sent to the Austin Spurs. This is the Spurs' team in the NBA G League, where players can get more playing time.
Key Moments with the Spurs
Keldon made his first NBA appearance on November 22, 2019. He played a couple of minutes in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. On August 11, 2020, he had a great game against the Houston Rockets. He scored a season-high 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and had 3 assists. The Spurs won that game 123–105.
On January 17, 2023, Keldon set a new career high. He scored 36 points in a 106–98 win against the Brooklyn Nets. He also had 11 rebounds in that game. In July 2022, Keldon signed a new four-year contract with the Spurs.
On October 31, 2023, Keldon scored 27 points. He also made a crucial steal from Kevin Durant. This steal led to a game-winning shot against the Phoenix Suns. The Spurs won 115–114. As of July 2025, Keldon continues to be an important player for the San Antonio Spurs.
Playing for Team USA
Keldon Johnson has also played for the United States national basketball team. He trained with the 2020 U.S. Olympic team. On July 16, 2021, he was officially added to the Olympic roster. He joined the team along with center JaVale McGee. They replaced injured players Kevin Love and Bradley Beal.
Keldon and Team USA went on to win a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This was a huge achievement for him and his country.
Off the Court
When Keldon was in college, he studied agriculture. He enjoys spending time outdoors. His favorite hobbies include fishing and hunting.
Keldon also has a brother named Kaleb. Kaleb played college basketball for Georgetown University. He was also drafted into the NBA G League in 2021. Kaleb now plays for the Valley Suns.
See also
In Spanish: Keldon Johnson para niños
