Alize DeShawn Johnson (born April 22, 1996) is an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player for the
Wisconsin Herd
The Wisconsin Herd are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and are affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Herd play their home games at Oshkosh Arena.
History
On June 29, 2016, it was anno ...
of the
NBA G League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
. He played
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
Missouri State Bears
The Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears are the athletic teams representing Missouri State University (formerly Southwest Missouri State University). Missouri State's athletics programs date back to 1908. Missouri State competes in the NCAA Div ...
of the
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the third-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the midwest.
History
The MVC was established ...
.
Johnson was selected with the 50th pick in the second round of the
2018 NBA draft
The 2018 NBA Draft was held on June 21, 2018, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including inte ...
by the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
.
Early years
Johnson was born in
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in, and the county seat of, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. It recorded a population of 27,754 at the 2020 Census. It is the principal city of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a popula ...
. As a freshman at
St. John Neumann Regional Academy Johnson was a physically underwhelming 5-foot 9-inch point guard. By the time his high school days were over, however, Johnson had grown to 6 feet 4 inches while turning in a fairly decorated career along the way. Despite leading his team to a 30–1 record while averaging 24.1 points, 15.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, Johnson had no Division I offers after his senior year, with only a little bit of interest from
St. Peters and
St. Francis. Johnson played his AAU basketball for Team Pennsylvania, based out of Harrisburg.
College career
Because of Johnson's lack of Division I offers he attended
Frank Phillips College
Frank Phillips College is a public community college in Borger, Texas
Borger ( ) is the largest city in Hutchinson County, Texas, United States. The population was 12,551 at the 2020 census. Borger is named for businessman Asa Philip "A ...
for his freshman and sophomore years. He then transferred to
Missouri State University
Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...
to finish his athletic and academic career.
On November 11, 2016, Johnson scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 91–65 win over Jacksonville State, and on December 14, 2016, he scored 20 points and recorded 16 rebound in a ten-point win over
Oral Roberts
Granville Oral Roberts (January 24, 1918 – December 15, 2009) was an American Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christianity, Christian televangelist, ordained in both the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, Pentecostal Holin ...
. Later that month on December 30 Johnson scored a career-high 30 points on 50% shooting and grabbed 15 rebounds in an 81–75 overtime win over
Indiana State
Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified among "D/PU: Doctor ...
. Johnson finished 2016–17 with 17 double-doubles scoring 20 or more points in nine games and grabbing 10+ rebounds in twenty-two games including a stretch in January of ten straight 10+ rebounds. Also Johnson had 20 or more rebounds twice and one thirty-point game, including a 21-rebound effort in February. He was named to the MVC All-Tournament team.
On April 21, 2017, Johnson declared for the
2017 NBA draft
The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players.
...
; however, Johnson did not hire an agent allowing him to return for his senior season. This move was most likely to receive feedback from
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
teams to see the interest. On May 15, 2017, Johnson was invited for a private workout with the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
. Prior to the draft Johnson withdrew his name from the draft and returned to MSU for his senior year.
Prior to the 2017–18 season, Johnson was invited to the
Adidas Nations basketball camp with the likes of
Michael Porter Jr.
Michael Lamar Porter Jr. (born June 29, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Missouri Tigers. Porter was ranked as one of ...
and other top level NBA talent. Johnson was named Most Valuable Player in the camp over these players and thus improved his draft stock and multiple NBA teams took notice. Mock drafts had Johnson in the middle to the late first round and others beginning of the second round prior to the season.
Professional career
Indiana Pacers (2018–2020)
On June 21, 2018, Johnson was selected by the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
with the 50th pick in the
2018 NBA draft
The 2018 NBA Draft was held on June 21, 2018, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including inte ...
. On July 6, 2018 Johnson made his debut for the Pacers at the
2018 NBA Summer League
The 2018 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Sacramento Kings's California Classic Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League.
The Sacra ...
in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
where against the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
Johnson scored 15 points had 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 16 minutes of play. In the Pacers 2018 summer league finale Johnson started scoring 12 points grabbing 14 rebounds and having 4 assists. Johnson played in 4 games during the 2018 summer league averaging 12.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg and 1.6 apg in 23 minutes played.
On July 17, 2018, Johnson signed a two-year, guaranteed contract worth $2,255,316 with the
Pacers.
On October 19, 2018, Johnson made his NBA debut vs the
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...
and scored two points in four minutes of play in a 118–101 loss. Johnson remained with the team playing in two more games before being moved down to the
Fort Wayne Mad Ants
The Fort Wayne Mad Ants are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and are affiliated with the Indiana Pacers. The team plays their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The M ...
on October 27. Johnson remained on the Mad Ants being called up for three games in December. He remained with the Pacers throughout all of January playing in seven games with limited minutes played. Johnson remained in the
G League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA Dev ...
until its season ended. Johnson finished the season with averages of 18.8 points per game, 13.5 rebounds per game, 3.3 assists per game and 1.4 blocks per game. In the Pacers season finale on April 10, 2019, Johnson saw significant playing time in 25 minutes he score 7 points and 11 rebounds in a 135–134 win over the
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...
.
On August 14, 2020, Johnson recorded a career-high 17 rebounds in the Pacers' 109–92 win over the
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...
.
Raptors 905 (2021)
On November 27, 2020, Johnson signed an
Exhibit 10
The NBA salary cap is the limit to the total amount of money that National Basketball Association teams are allowed to pay their players. Like many professional sports leagues, the NBA has a salary cap to control costs and benefit parity, defined b ...
deal with the Toronto Raptors The signing was confirmed by the Raptors on December 1, 2020. and was waived on December 19. On January 27, 2021, Johnson signed with
Raptors 905
The Raptors 905 are a Canadian professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Mississauga, Ontario, and are affiliated with the Toronto Raptors. Raptors 905 began play in the 2015–16 season and play their home games at Paramount Fi ...
of the
NBA G League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
. In 15 games, he averaged 16.6 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals in 32.1 minutes per game, helping the Raptors have the season's best record.
Brooklyn Nets (2021)
On March 22, 2021, Johnson signed a 10-day contract with the
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...
.
On March 24, in his debut with the Nets, Johnson recorded a career-high 23 points along with 15 rebounds in the Nets' 118–88 loss to the
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
. On April 1, Johnson was signed to a second 10-day contract. On April 11, Johnson agreed to a multi-year contract. On April 29, Johnson recorded a double-double with 20 points and a career-high 21 rebounds in a 130–113 win over the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
. On September 3, he was waived by the Nets.
Chicago Bulls (2021)
On September 8, 2021, Johnson signed with the
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...
. On December 26, he was waived.
Washington Wizards (2021–2022)
On December 28, 2021, Johnson signed a 10-day contract with the
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...
.
New Orleans Pelicans (2022)
On March 2, 2022, Johnson signed another 10-day contract, this time with the
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
. He made his debut for the team that evening. On March 11, he was waived. A day later, he signed a 10-day contract with the Pelicans via the hardship exception.
Austin / San Antonio Spurs (2022–2023)
On October 24, 2022, Johnson joined the
Austin Spurs
The Austin Spurs are an American basketball team in the NBA G League based in Cedar Park, Texas, and are affiliated with the San Antonio Spurs. The team plays their home games at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. The team has made the postseason in ...
training camp roster.
On November 29, 2022, Johnson signed a contract to join the
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...
. On December 13, he was waived by the Spurs and two days later, he rejoined Austin.
Wisconsin Herd (2023–present)
On January 28, 2023, the
Wisconsin Herd
The Wisconsin Herd are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and are affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Herd play their home games at Oshkosh Arena.
History
On June 29, 2016, it was anno ...
announced via their
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
account that they had acquired Johnson from
Austin Spurs
The Austin Spurs are an American basketball team in the NBA G League based in Cedar Park, Texas, and are affiliated with the San Antonio Spurs. The team plays their home games at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. The team has made the postseason in ...
for
Brandon Randolph.
Personal life
Johnson is the son of David Hill and Chanelle Johnson. Johnson has three brothers David, Davion, and Nasza as well as four sisters, Davesha, Destiny, Davida and Alana. He is the cousin of fellow professional basketball player
Chevon Troutman
Chevon Stephen Ray Troutman (born November 25, 1981) is an American professional basketball player. He is a 6'8" (2.02 m) tall power forward, who plays for Regatas Corrientes of the Liga Nacional de Básquet
The Liga Nacional de Básquet (abbre ...
, who plays overseas. Johnson graduated with a communications degree from
Missouri State University
Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...
in 2018.
Charitable work and activism
Johnson is very active in the charity and activism landscape. Johnson mainly focuses on his hometown of
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in, and the county seat of, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. It recorded a population of 27,754 at the 2020 Census. It is the principal city of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a popula ...
, but has also been a player in the
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
area as well, participating in multiple community events with the Pacers and Mad Ants. In late 2018, Johnson launched the Alize Johnson Foundation; the foundation's first major fundraiser gave out
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...
meals to over 100 families in need in Williamsport. In November 2018, Johnson donated basketball shoes for three
Lycoming County
Lycoming County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 114,188. Its county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. ...
varsity high school basketball teams, over 40 players from
Williamsport,
Loyalsock and
St. John Neumann
John Nepomucene Neumann (german: link=no, Johann Nepomuk Neumann, cs, Jan Nepomucký Neumann; March 28, 1811 – January 5, 1860) was a Catholic Church, Catholic priesthood in the Catholic Church, priest from Bohemia. He immigrated to the Un ...
high schools were given pairs. In early 2019, Johnson announced he was donated $145,000 to open a basketball court at park. On June 2, 2019, Johnson and city officials opened the court. In July 2019, Johnson held his first annual basketball camp in
Springfield
Springfield may refer to:
* Springfield (toponym), the place name in general
Places and locations Australia
* Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast)
* Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council)
* Springfield, Queenslan ...
at his alma mater. On July 19, 2019, Johnson held his first basketball camp at his former high school. Forty-five kids participated and were given signed Pacers gear and all of the costs were absorbed by Johnson's foundation.
Career statistics
NBA
Regular season
, -
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, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, 14 , , 0 , , 4.6 , , .250 , , .500 , , .500 , , 1.4 , , .1 , , .1 , , .2 , , .9
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, 17 , , 1 , , 6.9 , , .414 , , .375 , , .700 , , 2.8 , , .4 , , .2 , , .1 , , 2.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, 18 , , 0 , , 10.5 , , .588 , , .167 , , 1.000 , , 5.0 , , .8 , , .3 , , .3 , , 5.2
, -
, rowspan=3 style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, 16 , , 0 , , 7.6 , , .522 , , .000 , , .571 , , 2.3 , , .5 , , .2 , , .0 , , 1.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, 3 , , 0 , , 6.0 , , .333 , , .000 , , .000 , , 4.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, 4 , , 0 , , 7.0 , , .300 , , — , , .750 , , 3.3 , , .3 , , .5 , , .0 , , 2.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
, 4 , , 0 , , 7.4 , , .500 , , .000 , , .500 , , 2.5 , , .3 , , .3 , , .0 , , 1.8
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 76 , , 1 , , 7.5 , , .481 , , .227 , , .711 , , 3.0 , , .4 , , .2 , , .1 , , 2.5
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, 1 , , 0 , , .2 , , — , , — , , — , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, 5 , , 0 , , 4.6 , , .571 , , — , , — , , 2.6 , , .0 , , .6 , , .0 , , 1.6
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 6 , , 0 , , 3.8 , , .571 , , — , , — , , 2.2 , , .0 , , .5 , , .0 , , 1.3
College
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2016–17
, style="text-align:left;",
Missouri State
Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...
, 33 , , 33 , , 30.2 , , .488 , , .388 , , .667 , , 10.6 , , 1.9 , , .6 , , .1 , , 14.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2017–18
, style="text-align:left;",
Missouri State
Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...
, 33 , , 33 , , 31.2 , , .430 , , .281 , , .759 , , 11.6 , , 2.8 , , .5 , , .4 , , 15.0
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 66 , , 66 , , 30.7 , , .457 , , .325 , , .716 , , 11.1 , , 2.4 , , .5 , , .3 , , 14.9
See also
*
List of people from Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
References
External links
Missouri State Bears bioat Sports-Reference.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Alize
1996 births
Living people
21st-century African-American sportspeople
African-American basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in Canada
American men's basketball players
Austin Spurs players
Basketball players from Pennsylvania
Brooklyn Nets players
Chicago Bulls players
Fort Wayne Mad Ants players
Indiana Pacers draft picks
Indiana Pacers players
Junior college men's basketball players in the United States
Missouri State Bears basketball players
New Orleans Pelicans players
Power forwards (basketball)
Raptors 905 players
San Antonio Spurs players
Sportspeople from Williamsport, Pennsylvania
United States men's national basketball team players
Washington Wizards players
Wisconsin Herd players