Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Tre Johnson stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the sixth pick by the Washington Wizards in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Tre Johnson Shares Special Moment With Father at 2025 NBA Draft

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Tyler Firtel | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 5:28 PM ET

Former Texas Longhorns star Tre Johnson was in the green room at the 2025 NBA Draft when his name was called on Wednesday night.

He was one of the 24 top prospects that was invited with family to have a table at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Johnson was expectedly selected in the first half of the lottery, picked at No. 6 by the Washington Wizards.

What comes with attending the draft is having the opportunity to shake commissioner Adam Silver's hand on stage and be interviewed on live television after.

Why Johnson wore No. 20 for the Texas Longhorns

Johnson, with his new Wizards hat sitting on top of his head, did his post-pick interview alongside his father, Richard Jr., who was a basketball player himself.

Johnson wears No. 20 as a tribute to his father, who donned that number throughout his playing career. According to Tre's Texas profile, Richard Jr. played at Baylor from 1995-1997 before transferring to Midwestern State for the rest of his collegiate career. He scored over 1,000 points in two years at Midwestern State and is a member of the school's Athletics Hall of Honor.

Richard Jr. was asked how his son has honored his legacy by wearing No. 20 and making the NBA.

"He deserves it," Richard Jr. said. "This was my dream 20 years ago, I mean, 30 years ago, but I'd rather for him to be here than me anyway. So I'm just glad and honored to have a son that wanted to represent his father."

Tre responded laughing.

"He tried to lie on his age right there," Tre said. "But [he's] most definitely correct though. He's been here the whole way. It's like we are both getting drafted right now."

The father-son duo displayed their bond in the interview and illustrated how the draft is a family affair.

The one-and-done Texas product goes by "Tre" because his full name is Richard Earl Johnson III. In his college process, Tre chose Texas over his father's alma mater, Baylor. In fact 247Sports experts had him "Crystal Balled" to both schools, but it was Rodney Terry who ended up securing his commitment.

Johnson had quite the season in Austin, leading the Southeastern Conference in scoring with 19.9 points per game. And that distinguished year moved him from being a five-star out of high school to a top NBA prospect out of college.

Johnson now shifts his attention to the nation's capital. But, first things first, it will be interesting to see what number he wears in his rookie year. The Wizards' current No. 20 is 2024 second overall pick Alex Sarr. We'll see what that means for Johnson's jersey as he joins the professional level.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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