ROSEMONT, In poor health. —
Kobe Johnson was making an attempt to be sly, sneaking glances over at Mick Cronin on the sideline. Cronin caught on, but it surely didn’t matter.
USC’s star defender decoded the play name from UCLA’s coach — a shot for Lazar Stefanovic — and signaled to his teammates what was coming.
The Trojans bought a cease. The Bruins bought an earful.
“That’s not going to work,” Johnson playfully advised Cronin final season as he headed up the courtroom the opposite method.
In his head, Cronin acknowledged defeat.
“I was like, damn, I can’t get him,” Cronin mentioned.
Properly, really …
On Thursday, Johnson sat two seats over from his new coach for a tv interview about their staff.
Cronin bought him.
A yr after he wore a USC jersey whereas representing the Trojans at Pac-12 media day, Johnson wore a darkish blue checkered sport coat, white shirt and black pants whereas showing on behalf of the Bruins at Massive Ten media day.
The 6-foot-6 senior ahead might need been UCLA’s greatest get of a busy offseason in its bid to make an equally monumental transition — from dropping report to nationwide title contender. Among the many six transfers the Bruins imported, Johnson is the one one to make a significant convention’s all-defensive staff for 2 consecutive seasons.
“I’ll be shocked if he is not an all-league player when it matters in the postseason, when the votes are tallied up,” Cronin mentioned contained in the Donald E. Stephens Conference Heart in Rosemont, In poor health. “He’s just a winner. He defends. He’s as good a defensive player as I have ever coached, and I coached a national player of the year two years ago defensively in Jaylen Clark.”
Kobe Johnson goes for a layup throughout a sport between USC and Lengthy Seashore State in December.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Instances)
He’s additionally one thing of a rarity. Johnson is believed to be the primary basketball participant to have performed for each L.A. faculties because the last years of World Warfare II, when Frank Bowman spent his first yr of medical faculty taking part in for USC after three seasons at UCLA. The rise of the switch portal and the demise of long-standing guidelines that required intraconference transfers to sit down out two years made Johnson’s transfer attainable.
A few of his new teammates would possibly momentarily want that he remained a Trojan. Together with his lengthy arms, fast fingers and unmatched skill to diagnose a play earlier than it occurs, Johnson has been the Bruins’ greatest early observe foil.
“The word for it is annoying,” level guard Dylan Andrews mentioned of what it’s prefer to go up towards Johnson, whose presence should be accounted for even when he’s not guarding him. “But just having a player like Kobe on our side and not on the opposing team’s side, it’s wonderful, man.”
The advantages embrace being on the profitable staff throughout a summer time pickup sport involving Clippers star James Harden.
“That was a hell of an experience,” Johnson mentioned of making an attempt to cross up a participant identified for his crossover.
It wasn’t actually something new for somebody who goes up towards an NBA participant usually. Atlanta Hawks ahead Jalen Johnson, Kobe’s older brother, engages in one-on-one battles along with his youthful sibling at any time when he comes into city. Jalen prevailed of their newest matchup this summer time, although it required important effort.
“He ended up winning,” Kobe mentioned, “but it was a battle to the end. It wasn’t no cakewalk for him.”
Shortly after the Trojans stumbled to a 15-18 end final season, Johnson entered the switch portal, in search of a chance to win and be the perfect model of himself.
“I’m not saying I didn’t get that at ‘SC,” said Johnson, who averaged 10.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game last season, “but I just wanted a change, and I think this is the best opportunity for myself.”
Cronin was the first coach to express interest, showing Johnson how much he was coveted by someone he had grown to respect.
“My first reaction when I saw him coach was like, man, this guy is crazy,” Johnson said of the animated coach, “but at the same time I’m like, OK, he’s profitable and his gamers are taking part in for him they usually’re listening, so one thing must be happening. That’s what attracted me, his depth and his love for the sport as a result of that’s what I need to play for — I need to play for a coach that cares.”
UCLA males’s basketball coach Mick Cronin speaks throughout Massive Ten media day Thursday.
(Erin Hooley / Related Press)
Johnson moved throughout city right into a Westwood residence along with his girlfriend and their three tuxedo cats — Minx, Mama and Olly — and set about engaged on his jumper and making performs out of the decide and roll, abilities that may present his skill to do extra than simply defend.
The onetime Trojan has obtained welcoming messages from a litany of former Bruins, together with Baron Davis, Ryan Hollins, Matt Barnes and Invoice Walton earlier than Walton handed away in Might.
“Just go be great,” Walton advised him.
In case there was any doubt about Johnson making ready for his return to the Galen Heart, he answered it when requested if he had checked out when the sport fell on the schedule.
“Yeah, I did,” Johnson mentioned. “Jan. 27.”
He’s prepared for no matter fan angst and foolish barbs from DJ Mal-Ski would possibly come his method, his anticipation saving him as soon as once more.
