Wesley Johnson (basketball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wesley Johnson

Johnson with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2016
Los Angeles Clippers
Player development assistant
Personal information
Born	(1987-07-11) July 11, 1987 (age 38) Corsicana, Texas, U.S.
High school	Corsicana (Corsicana, Texas)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College	Iowa State (2006–2008) Syracuse (2009–2010)
NBA Draft	2010 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall
Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves
Pro career	2010–2020
League	NBA
Career history
2010–2012	Minnesota Timberwolves
2012–2013	Phoenix Suns
2013–2015	Los Angeles Lakers
2015–2018	Los Angeles Clippers
2018–2019	New Orleans Pelicans
2019	Washington Wizards
2019–2020	Panathinaikos
Career highlights and awards
Greek League champion (2020) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2011) Consensus first-team All-American (2010) Big East Player of the Year (2010) First-team All-Big East (2010)
Career NBA statistics
Points	4,235 (7.0 ppg)
Rebounds	1,924 (3.2 rpg)
Assists	645 (1.1 apg)

Wesley JaMarr Johnson, born on July 11, 1987, is an American basketball coach and former player. He currently works as a player development assistant for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before becoming a coach, he played college basketball for the Iowa State Cyclones and Syracuse Orange. The Minnesota Timberwolves chose him as the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Wesley Johnson grew up playing basketball. In high school, he played for Corsicana High School. During his senior year, he was a star player. He averaged 15.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks per game. He was also named to the first-team all-district in both 2004 and 2005. Wesley also played for the Dallas Mustangs, an AAU team.

College Basketball Journey

Wesley Johnson played college basketball for two different teams. He started at Iowa State before transferring to Syracuse.

Playing for Iowa State

As a freshman at Iowa State, Wesley quickly made an impact. He was named to the Big 12 all-Rookie team. He also earned honorable mention freshman All-America honors. He averaged 12.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He started 30 out of 31 games that season.

One exciting moment was when he scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds against Missouri. He even made the game-winning shot with only 1.6 seconds left! He also scored 17 points against No. 10 Texas A&M.

In his second year, Wesley played with an injured ankle. He still averaged 12.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He was named an honorable mention all-Big 12 player. He scored 20 points against the eventual NCAA Champion Kansas.

Transferring to Syracuse

After the 2008 season, Wesley decided to transfer. He chose Syracuse. Due to NCAA rules, he had to sit out the 2008–09 season. This meant he had two years left to play college basketball.

Wesley became a starter for the Syracuse Orange right away. In November 2009, he was named MVP of the 2K Coaches Classic. He scored 25 points in a win against No. 6 North Carolina. On December 10, 2009, he helped Syracuse beat No. 10 Florida. He scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in that game.

In his first Big East game, Wesley had an amazing performance. He scored 20 points and grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds. Syracuse won 80–73 against Seton Hall. On March 9, 2010, Wesley was named Big East Player of the Year. He finished the season averaging 16.0 points and 8.4 rebounds. On March 29, 2010, he was named a First Team AP All American.

On April 12, 2010, Wesley decided to enter the NBA draft. He gave up his last year of college eligibility. He then signed with sports agent Rob Pelinka.

Professional Basketball Career

Wesley Johnson played for several teams in the NBA. He also played internationally.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2010–2012)

Wesley Johnson playing for the Timberwolves in January 2012

The Minnesota Timberwolves picked Wesley as the 4th player in the 2010 NBA draft. On March 18, 2011, he scored a career-high 29 points. This was in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Phoenix Suns (2012–2013)

On July 27, 2012, Wesley was traded to the Phoenix Suns. This trade involved three teams. In his first game with the Suns, he scored a three-pointer. This helped the Suns win a close game against the Detroit Pistons. He started getting more playing time when Lindsey Hunter became the head coach.

On February 26, 2013, Wesley had 14 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. This helped the Suns win 84–83 against his old team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. The next day, he made a game-tying three-pointer. This shot helped the Suns win in overtime against the San Antonio Spurs. On March 1, 2013, he scored a season-high 15 points. He also had six rebounds and two steals in a win against the Atlanta Hawks.

Los Angeles Lakers (2013–2015)

On July 15, 2013, Wesley signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. In his first season with the Lakers, he had career-high averages. These included points, rebounds, steals, and blocks. He was one of only eight players in the league to average at least 1 block and 1 steal per game. He was the only perimeter player to do so. He scored 20 or more points in four games. This was his best since his rookie season.

On November 29, 2013, Wesley scored 27 points. He also had 6 rebounds and 3 blocks. This helped the Lakers win 106–102 against the Detroit Pistons. He achieved four double-doubles that season, which was a career best. On July 28, 2014, Wesley re-signed with the Lakers for another year.

Los Angeles Clippers (2015–2018)

On July 9, 2015, Wesley signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. He played his first game for the Clippers on October 28. He scored 3 points and had 1 steal in a win against the Sacramento Kings. On July 8, 2016, Wesley signed again with the Clippers.

New Orleans Pelicans (2018–2019)

On October 15, 2018, Wesley was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. This trade was for Alexis Ajinça.

Washington Wizards (2019)

On February 7, 2019, Wesley was traded to the Washington Wizards. This trade was for Markieff Morris and a future draft pick. On April 5, 2019, the Wizards released Wesley from his contract.

Panathinaikos (2019–2020)

On July 22, 2019, Wesley signed a one-year deal with Panathinaikos. This team plays in the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague. In his first game with Panathinaikos, Wesley scored 7 points in 19 minutes. This was against AEK Athens.

Career Statistics

Here are some of Wesley Johnson's career statistics from his time playing basketball.

NBA Regular Season

NBA Playoffs

EuroLeague Statistics

College Statistics

See also

In Spanish: Wesley Johnson para niños