Spurs player Keldon Johnson honored to play for Team USA at Tokyo Olympics

Photo credit: Chris Covatta/NBAE via Getty Images

Keldon Johnson doesn’t have Twitter, so when news leaked he had been added to the Team USA basketball roster for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, he had no clue his life had changed.

Spurs and Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich congratulated Johnson in the hotel lobby, and the first-round pick that spent his first professional season with the Austin Spurs in the G League was at a loss for words.

“I’m blessed and honored to be an Olympian,” Johnson said. “ I didn’t know what else to say but thank you for the opportunity to go over there and take care of business with the other guys. It’s a big opportunity for me.”

Johnson was called up to Team USA’s Select Team meant to help the main roster prepare for the Tokyo Olympics.

When Bradley Beal was forced to end his time with Team USA due to health and safety protocols and Kevin Love left after a nagging calf injury, Johnson got the call to move to the Olympic roster.

“I’m learning something new every day,” Johnson said. “I’m around some of the best players in the league, so I’m just following them and answering questions. Just being around these guys and being able to compete with them has taught me a lot about the game of basketball.”

The Spurs' first-round pick from Kentucky in 2019, Johnson was the catalyst for the Austin Spurs during the 2019-20 season, averaging 20.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in 31 games. Austin was in a playoff position before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season prematurely.

He played 69 games in San Antonio last season, averaging 12.8 points and six rebounds per game.

Johnson is the third San Antonio player to play for Team USA at the Olympics, joining Tim Duncan and David Robinson.

With a few Team USA players still participating in the NBA Finals, he stepped in and helped the United States beat Spain 83-76 on Sunday night, scoring 15 points — including 10 in the third quarter.

“This is something that kind of just happened,” Johnson said. “I couldn’t picture it when I first got drafted, because my goal was to be the best player I could be. I was surprised to make it to the select team, but I just took and made the best of it.”

Popovich and Johnson have the San Antonio connection, but Johnson said other people on the Team USA coaching staff helped make the decision to add him to the Olympic roster.

Team USA hasn’t looked like defending gold medalists, losing to Nigeria and Australia in exhibition play before being Spain on Sunday.

But when they take the court against France to begin the Olympics on July 25, Johnson said Popovich will have the roster ready to go.

“Pop is Pop,” Johnson said. “Even if he was (worried), he wouldn’t show us or he would show the public. I doubt he’s worried. Every day we get better and we come together more and more. By the time we get to Tokyo, I feel like we’ll be ready.”

Johnson isn’t worried about playing in front of empty stadiums in Japan or the much more restrictive guidelines for athletes at the Olympics. He said didn’t have any big plans to cancel, and he normally likes to stay home and play video games.

But wearing red, white and blue is more important for Johnson.

Johnson said he has several close family members and friends that are members of the U.S. Military, and it’s truly an honor to represent the country.

“My mom cried and my dad was choking up,” he said. “It was a special moment. We play for moments like this.”