"People forget he was a top-10 pick in our league" - LeBron James gives Stanley Johnson a major shoutout after his stellar performance against Utah Jazz
It's not often that a reserve player gets a shoutout from LeBron James. It's even more rare for a reserve player, who is on a 10-day contract, to get a shoutout from the 37-year-old LA Lakers superstar.
But this is precisely what happened to Stanley Johnson as he helped the Lakers fightback in their contest against the Utah Jazz on Monday night. Johnson scored 10 of his 15 points in the final quarter, all in a two-and-a-half minute stretch between the 8-minute and 5:35-minute mark. His outburst helped the Lakers erase a nine-point deficit to close out the game with a six-point (101-95) victory.
Johnson attacked Rudy Gobert continuously during his 10-point scoring stretch, something he was told to do by LeBron James. Johnson ultimately finished the game with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting, five rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. Speaking about the the 2015 Draft pick's inspiring bench performance, LeBron James told the media after the game:
"People forget he was a top 10 pick [2015 Draft, 8th overall] in our league. ... We got a gem in him and Austin [Reaves]."
LeBron James on Stanley Johnson: "People forget he was a top 10 pick in our league. ... We got a gem in him and Austin [Reaves]."
"I just wanted to bring some energy," says Stanley Johnson as LA Lakers record first win in four games
Stanley Johnson himself was pretty pumped-up following the LA Lakers' first victory after losing three straight games. Speaking in a post-game television interview, Johnson said of his performance:
"I just wanted to bring some energy to the game. I finally got a deflection and I finally got a loose ball and I finally got some moving assist and stuff like that... I play with LeBron and Russ [Westbrook]. It's easy to play with them... If I bring some energy, I knew everything will be fine."
"I just wanted to bring some energy...it's nothing but energy and that's what I continue to bring to be successful." Stanley Johnson talks with @LakersReporter about being a key contributor in tonight's comeback win. #LakeShow https://t.co/XI6FZ0vjth
When asked about his scoring effort tonight, Stanley Johnson responded by saying:
"Energy. It's just energy. I don't have no isolations. They guard LeBron with two people, so I get a layup. Running the court, I get a layup. It's nothing but energy and that's what I continue to bring to be successful."
Commenting on going one-on-one against Rudy Gobert on the offensive end, Johnson remarked:
"I keep saying energy. I just try to play with energy and toughness and try to do my best. He's [Rudy Gobert] bigger than me, he's taller than me, he's an all-star caliber player. So I just do my best and do what I can do. People help me and it just happens that way sometimes."