There have been a lot of changes in Lokomotiv-Kuban this summer, both in the coaching staff and in the squad. One of the newcomers was BJ Johnson, who was the leader of Parma last season, was recognized as the MVP of January and participated in the All-Star Game. Now Johnson has challenged himself, because he will have to become the main star of Krasnodar and replace Devon Akun-Purcell on this field, who moved from Loko to UNICS. “Championship” spoke with the newcomer and the main hope of the Kuban team, BJ Johnson.
What do you need to know about the new season?
CSKA’s power and unexpected playoff contenders are the main things to look forward to before the start of the United League season.
— How did you get into basketball? — I was four years old and I got a basketball for Christmas. But, in general, my mother played basketball, my father played basketball, so I think everything was predetermined even before that moment.
— Is it true that you studied at the same school as Kobe Bryant? – Yes, in Lower Merion in West Philadelphia. I went to high school there and the same year I arrived, Kobe donated a bunch of money to the school. A new gym was built above it, which has since been called the Kobe Bryant Gym.
— You refused to declare for the NBA draft in 2017, even though you were named to the Big 5 team (the five oldest universities in Pennsylvania) by the NCAA at the end of that season. Why did you make this decision? — At that time I had just completed my third year and the NBA had just introduced a rule according to which third-year students could also enter the draft and then, if necessary, return for another year to complete their studies. But shortly before the draft I suffered a wrist injury and decided to treat it properly.
— As a result, a year later you still went to the draft, but you were not selected. – It happens. But I played for the Charlotte Hornets in the Summer League, then for Orlando’s farm team in the G-League, and in March 2019, Atlanta signed me.
— His NBA debut was quite impressive: 11 points in a winning game against Chicago. – Yes. In that match I also repeated the record of shots without missing in debut matches: four out of four.
— As a result, you have 21 games in the NBA regular season and one in the playoffs. Are you thinking of going back there? – I don’t think about it much. I prefer to live in the present. If something happens, so be it. And if not, so be it.
BJ Johnson
Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images
— You still have two matches left with the US national team: in November 2021, in the World Cup qualifiers, you defeated Cuba (95:90) and then lost to Mexico (88:97). Do you remember these matches? – Certainly. When they called me, I gladly accepted – after all, this is an opportunity not only to play again in a team with some of the best guys in the United States, but also to represent my entire country. I am very grateful for this trust. It seems that I scored 13-14 points (16 and 15, respectively. – Note from “Championship”).
— How long have you been thinking about moving to Russia? “I go where basketball takes me.” At that time, Parma’s offer was the best one and I accepted it. At first, some things in Perm were new. But I’ve been to many places and I can’t say that anything really surprised or shocked me. The city is like a city.
— What are your emotions about participating in the United League All-Star Game? “It’s an honor when the league officially names you one of its stars.” But, to be honest, I’m not a big fan of these kinds of events.
— What can you say about the MVP of the month title, which you received in January? – Yes, it’s more or less the same: I’m not after those awards. Another thing is that we played very well back then: we won about six games. If it weren’t for those victories, nobody would have thought of considering me a candidate for an individual award.
— Did Parma have a chance to beat Loko in the spring playoffs? “We went into every quarter-final match with a strong desire to win. But what happened in the end is probably the best Parma were capable of.
— Was it difficult to decide to move to Lokomotiv-Kuban? – No. I play basketball so that my family can live in abundance. I had a good season in Parma and thanks to that I had the opportunity to earn more for my family. Loko made an offer and I accepted.
BJ Johnson
Photo: Press service of the VTB United League
— What do you think of Krasnodar? – I like it. I live in an area where there are many good restaurants, shopping malls and all kinds of nice places. Everything suits me. My family is with me, they feel good here too. My wife has something to do. My daughter has something to do. They feel comfortable and I am happy.
— What do you do in your free time? — I’m spending it with my family. I also happen to watch all kinds of shows on TV, play video games: Call of Duty, Madden, college football. The football season has started in the United States, I’m trying to watch as many games as possible. I support the Philadelphia Eagles, of course. I also watched almost all of the Olympic basketball. A lot of athletics, a bit of gymnastics with my daughter, she practices this sport with me.
— Shortly after your arrival at Loko, President Andrei Vedishchev became the team’s coach. How did you react to this? “This is not the first time the coaching staff has changed at the team where I play. My job is to play basketball. The people who invited me to Loko stayed. I think they know well what I can do on the court and I will help the team in any way I can.”
— Did Vedishchev express his goals for the new season? — No, but it is clear: last season Loko finished fourth. We need to do better in this regard.
— Do you have any personal goals for the season? — Show your best in as many games as possible.
— There are a lot of young players at Lokomotiv now. Do you like that? — The same thing happened in Parma last season, the situation is not new to me. Also, Loko’s youth is very talented. And since we are going to win, we all need to become one team, both the young players and the older ones. We are still getting used to each other. We are about the same number: the newcomers and those who stayed from last season. Becoming a real team is not a quick process. I felt like we were taking a step forward with each subsequent pre-season match. We constantly managed to improve something, even when we lost.
— However, out of seven pre-season games, Loko only won three. Did this affect the atmosphere in the team in any way? “I don’t think our goal was to win all the pre-season games at any cost. When we lost, we lost against strong teams. And at the same time we proved that we can compete on equal terms with strong opponents. We are still looking for our best game, we are still getting used to each other. But when we get used to it, we will be in perfect order.
— Turk Telecom deal, 88:88. Has this happened to you before? – No. This was, of course, unusual and fun. But our first priority was not the result, but the development of mutual understanding. I think the opponent did too. So it’s a draw and a draw, okay, let’s move on.
BJ Johnson (with ball)
Photo: Press service of the VTB United League
— Against CSKA in the Super Cup, Loko was equal for a long time, but in the end they lost. What was missing? – This is a strong opponent. They still have almost everything from last year. For 40 minutes of the match against us, they stuck to their line: they took a small lead on the scoreboard, then a little more, and then another. We lacked teamwork, we made a couple of mistakes that CSKA did not make.
— On the other hand, against Besiktas you played better towards the end, which led to the match going into overtime. During the match you were losing by 17 points. How did this breakthrough feel? “My feeling is, as I said, that we can beat anyone. And if we lose it is because of our mistakes. Against Besiktas we recovered well towards the end, we stopped making mistakes and then the opponent was swimming.”
— You spent the season in Perm, where the stands cheer at their own stadium. How receptive are you to the energy that the fans give you? — In Krasnodar, by the way, when I made it to the playoffs with Parma, the support was also good. But it seems to me that I play both in a stadium full of people and in empty stands. In life I am absolutely calm. And in the game I have two modes: the main one is also calm, but in some situations a switch is activated and then it waits. Another thing is that this switch is very difficult to reach.
— Which partners do you communicate with the most at Loko? “We Americans, of course, stick together. After all, we are all far from home, but next to them I feel a little closer to my homeland.
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