The Johnson brothers are on the same team again.
Hours after not getting picked in the 2025 NBA draft, former USC and UCLA guard Kobe Johnson is expected to sign with the Atlanta Hawks, according to several media reports.
That’s interesting because one of the Hawks’ stars is Kobe’s older brother Jalen Johnson, who signed a $150 million contract extension last year but is coming off a season-ending shoulder injury.
Kobe and Jalen Johnson won state title at Nicolet High School
When the Johnsons last played together at Nicolet High School, they won the 2019 WIAA Division 2 state championship. That was the school’s first title, and the Knights were heading toward another one when the 2019-20 season ended because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jalen played at Duke for only 13 games before opting out of the season to prepare for the NBA draft. The athletic 6-foot-7 forward was taken by the Hawks with the 20th pick in the 2021 draft. He’s since become a rising star and was averaging career highs with 18.9 points and 10 rebounds last season before his injury.
Kobe spent four seasons playing college basketball in Los Angeles. His first three seasons came at USC, then he transferred to UCLA last season after a coaching change.
At 6-5 Kobe has made his reputation as a defensive stopper. He made both the Pac-12 and Big Ten all-defensive teams in college.
Details on Kobe’s contract haven’t been made available, but it will likely be an Exhibit 10 contract, which would get him into Atlanta’s training camp and then give him incentives to sign with the franchise’s G League team if he doesn’t make the Hawks’ roster.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee’s Kobe and Jalen Johnson on same team again, this time in NBA with Atlanta Hawks
Reporting by Ben Steele, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
