Johnson Has Sparked 49ers
by Doug Krikorian, Long Beach Press-Telegram
March 9, 2006 They don't know that they don't know, the late football coach, George Allen, was fond of saying in reference to those in athletics who blithely go about their work in a misguided manner.
At the amateur basketball level, you so often see young players take foolish shots, make indiscreet passes and perform in a self-indulgent manner alien to the teamwork concept.
I have no idea where these players pick up these dreadful habits because their sport's greatest players, the Michael Jordans, Magic Johnsons, Kareem Abdul-Jabbars, Bill Russells, Larry Birds, Tim Duncans, Oscar Robertsons, Jerry Wests, etc., never deported themselves in such a selfish way.
There are, of course, others who perform as though they stepped right out of a John Wooden textbook, and one of them, 20-year-old Kejuan Johnson, happens to be the starting point guard for the Long Beach State basketball team that opens Big West Tournament play this evening.
Johnson, an Artesia High graduate, is a throwback player in that the only numbers that interest him are the ones up there on the scoreboard showing his team ahead at a game's conclusion.
"All I care about is winning," says Johnson, who has played a vital role in the 49ers' resurgence this season with his deft floor leadership and clutch scoring. "If I could get 10 assists and we win the game without my scoring a point, I'd be happy. I hate losing."
The facts back up Kejuan Johnson.
The 49ers were 2-5 when he became eligible in the middle of December after clearing up some academic issues and are 14-6 since his arrival.
As a senior at Artesia, he played on a team that went 30-3 and won a CIF Division III title.
As a freshman at Humboldt State during the 2003-2004 season, he was an important member of a team that went 28-6 and wound up in the Division II Final Four.
As a newcomer at Long Beach City College last season, he led the Vikings to a 19-9 record and the South Coast Conference South Division title and earned the conference's MVP honors.
"Kejuan is one of the best playmakers I've ever had here," says Gary Anderson, the longtime coach of the Vikings. "He's just so unselfish, and makes all of his teammates better. A terrific player, and I wasn't surprised at all that Long Beach State started to win with regularity once Kejuan joined the team."
The 49ers' coach, Larry Reynolds, echoes Anderson's sentiments.
"Definitely, Kejuan makes all his teammates better," he says. "He has given us another dimension at the point guard spot. He's big and strong and sees the floor well. He's shot the ball better than anyone anticipated, especially from 3-point range. He's very capable of scoring, and getting the ball to people who can score."
When you watch Kejuan Johnson play, you marvel at his team-oriented style that can be so selfless that even Larry Reynolds on occasion encourages him to become more offensively aggressive.
"We have a lot of guys on this team who can score, and it's my main job to set them up," says Johnson, who has drilled 29 of 62 3-point attempts for a .468 percentage. "Sure, I like to score as much as the next guy, but even more so I like making my teammates happy. My points are scored during the flow of the game."
Johnson is aware of Larry Reynolds' uncertain job status, and admits he and his teammates have discussed the matter.
"Obviously, it's a source of motivation for all of us," he says. "We all know how important this Big West Tournament is. I definitely think we can win it. And I definitely think with the players we have returning next season, we'll be even a better team."
Kejuan Johnson was not heavily recruited at Artesia, and reluctantly accepted a scholarship from Humboldt State.
Not even Long Beach State was interested in him.
"I went to Humboldt because it had a successful basketball program," says Johnson. "But my dream was always to play at the Division I level. That's why I left Humboldt after the first year and enrolled at Long Beach City. I wanted to show what I could do."
He showed he could average 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists in triggering the Vikings to a 7-1 conference mark.
Suddenly, Larry Reynolds came calling.
"I've never asked Coach Reynolds why he wasn't interested in recruiting me out of high school," says Johnson. "But he wasn't the only Division I coach who wasn't interested in me. Maybe it was because I was a shooting guard at that time and was only 6-2."
Kejuan Johnson has grown to 6-4 and now weighs nearly 200 pounds.
His desire is to follow his uncle, Lucious Harris, a one-time 49er star who is the brother of Johnson's father, into the NBA.
"I love basketball and try to get better at it every day," he says. "I'm a gym rat. I can't play the game enough. Hopefully one day, I'll be playing it for a living. If not, maybe I'll go into real estate, or maybe I'll open up some kind of business."
Kejuan Johnson's favorite player is Kobe Bryant.
"I love Kobe's determination," he says. "And his work ethic. He never stops working hard when he's out on the court."
Neither does Kejuan Johnson, whose most passionate supporter at 49er games has been his mother, Sheila Celestain.
"Like I said, what inspires me most when I play basketball is to do all the things necessary to help my team win," he says. "Impressive individual stats don't mean a thing if your team loses. To me playing basketball is about winning."
And it's no mere coincidence that Long Beach State started winning with consistency once Kejuan Johnson came aboard. |
