The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Johnson’s Journey Leads Back to Home
5/13/2021 1:40:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BIRMINGHAM - There's no place like home. And home is where Jamal Johnson landed. After playing a season at Memphis and two at Auburn, the 6-4 guard has returned home to The Magic City and will be reunited with Spain Park High School teammate Justin Brown.
UABSports.com sat down with the son of former First Round NBA draft pick Buck Johnson to discuss his return to Birmingham and what he plans to bring to the Blazers.
When you entered the transfer portal, did you know that your high school teammate Justin Brown was coming to UAB and did that influence your decision?
After we both put our names in the transfer portal, we were talking about how we always wanted to play together. We were teammates in high school, but we always thought how great it would be to play together again. We felt like UAB would be the best fit for both of us.
Describe your play style.
I'm an unselfish, playmaking-type scorer. I'm a good shooter, but I like to get everybody involved.
What player would you say you modeled your game after?
Growing up, my favorite player was LeBron James and in the last few years it's Steph Curry. Watching my Dad play growing up and seeing how he always gave 110% effort on every possession, that's what I try to focus on. He always played unselfish, which made me want to model my game after him. Even though we're different positions, I wanted to be the player he is.
Are there expectations from others considering you are the son of a former NBA player?
My parents never put any pressure on me to even play basketball, let alone be in the NBA. I come out every day to have fun and compete with my teammates because it's the game that I love.
How would you describe Coach Kennedy?
Coach Kennedy is a player's coach. He's a guy I can connect with well. He has a certain swag that I like. I can tell that he will coach me hard. He's very charismatic and a great person that I want to learn from as much as I can.
Do you have any goals for next season?
My main goal is to win. I want to win the conference championship, get to the NCAA Tournament, make a run and potentially win the whole thing. I'm not too concerned with individual goals, I just want to play and have fun with my brothers and compete for a championship.
Is there anything you would like to say to Blazer Nation?
We're ready to work and compete. We want to pack Bartow Arena and make it electric like it has been. We're going to win as many games as possible and get to that championship.
MEN'S BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
Men's basketball season tickets for the 2021-22 season are on sale now. Current basketball season ticket holders can click here to renew their original 2020-21 seat locations prior to social distancing adjustments. Click here to purchase new 2021-22 season which start as low as $100 with the Blaze's Corner season ticket.
Fans interested in season tickets can fill out the season ticket request form or contact the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 to receive additional information.
For more information on the UAB men's basketball team, follow @UAB_MBB on Twitter and Instagram.
UABSports.com sat down with the son of former First Round NBA draft pick Buck Johnson to discuss his return to Birmingham and what he plans to bring to the Blazers.
When you entered the transfer portal, did you know that your high school teammate Justin Brown was coming to UAB and did that influence your decision?
After we both put our names in the transfer portal, we were talking about how we always wanted to play together. We were teammates in high school, but we always thought how great it would be to play together again. We felt like UAB would be the best fit for both of us.
Describe your play style.
I'm an unselfish, playmaking-type scorer. I'm a good shooter, but I like to get everybody involved.
What player would you say you modeled your game after?
Growing up, my favorite player was LeBron James and in the last few years it's Steph Curry. Watching my Dad play growing up and seeing how he always gave 110% effort on every possession, that's what I try to focus on. He always played unselfish, which made me want to model my game after him. Even though we're different positions, I wanted to be the player he is.
Are there expectations from others considering you are the son of a former NBA player?
My parents never put any pressure on me to even play basketball, let alone be in the NBA. I come out every day to have fun and compete with my teammates because it's the game that I love.
How would you describe Coach Kennedy?
Coach Kennedy is a player's coach. He's a guy I can connect with well. He has a certain swag that I like. I can tell that he will coach me hard. He's very charismatic and a great person that I want to learn from as much as I can.
Do you have any goals for next season?
My main goal is to win. I want to win the conference championship, get to the NCAA Tournament, make a run and potentially win the whole thing. I'm not too concerned with individual goals, I just want to play and have fun with my brothers and compete for a championship.
Is there anything you would like to say to Blazer Nation?
We're ready to work and compete. We want to pack Bartow Arena and make it electric like it has been. We're going to win as many games as possible and get to that championship.
MEN'S BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
Men's basketball season tickets for the 2021-22 season are on sale now. Current basketball season ticket holders can click here to renew their original 2020-21 seat locations prior to social distancing adjustments. Click here to purchase new 2021-22 season which start as low as $100 with the Blaze's Corner season ticket.
Fans interested in season tickets can fill out the season ticket request form or contact the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 to receive additional information.
For more information on the UAB men's basketball team, follow @UAB_MBB on Twitter and Instagram.
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