What We Know About Nets Assistant GM B.J. Johnson

When Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks appeared at his end-of-season media briefing, he stressed that it was “important to have value contracts” on the roster. That, he added, is accomplished through drafting “right.” 

“I think our draft process has worked,” Marks said, with Nets head coach Jordi Fernández to his side. “We know what’s at stake this year. B.J. has done a heck of a job the last several years running that draft process for us, so he’s excited about what lies ahead over the next few years.” 

Marks was referring to B.J. Johnson, the Nets’ assistant general manager who was promoted to his current role last September. Before joining the Nets, Johnson was a highly-coveted executive at USA Basketball, where his run included seven years as the men’s national team assistant director. But despite his distinguished resume, little is still known to Brooklyn fans about Johnson. 

To be clear and fair, it is not strange for an NBA assistant GM to keep a low profile. Johnson should not be expected to give interviews, it is probably not in the Nets’ interests to make him available (the team declined an interview request from the Colorado Springs Gazette in 2017) and it would be a deviation for any NBA team to effectively publicize their front office staff outside of their lead shot-caller. For Brooklyn, that would be Marks.

However, with the Nets’ GM effectively shouting Johnson out to kick off the media cycle towards the draft, it is also fair game to dig into the latter’s background and decision-making history ahead of a crucial summer. In the middle of a full-blown rebuild, Brooklyn are currently projected to pick at Nos. 6, 19, 26, 27 and 36. The following information is all publicly available.

Johnson grew up in North Carolina with five siblings. He “fell in love with the game” of basketball at 13, setting the tone for the rest of his life.

“My goal was to earn a college scholarship and make it to the NBA,” Johnson wrote in his chapter of the Success Habits of Super Achievers book. “Everybody laughed at me. But, I believed it was possible. I didn’t have access to all the resources that some of my friends had. I didn’t have guys I looked up to that could teach me the game. While others went to basketball camps and joined summer leagues, I taught myself by watching videos and reading books.” 

Johnson didn’t get a college scholarship after playing at Ben L. Smith High School, but he attended Villanova University with a desire to make the Wildcats squad as a walk-on. He “worked out relentlessly, never going out on the weekends, closing the gym every Friday and Saturday night” but was cut in his first try-out. Instead, he became a student manager for Villanova’s women’s team. Johnson’s persistence eventually paid off.

“My junior year, after a women’s practice, I was running stairs to prepare for the next men's tryouts when the men’s team began practicing,” the Nets’ assistant GM wrote. “The coach called me downstairs. I expected to be kicked out, but instead, he invited me to be on the team! This was huge! I played two years under Steve Lappas. Then, I played for Jay Wright, who gave me the scholarship I had always desired and the opportunity to play. It was a dream come true.”

In three seasons at Villanova, Johnson featured in 29 games. He played a total of 93 minutes, averaging 3.2 minutes per game for his college career to go along with 0.5 points, 0.4 rebounds, 0.1 assists and 0.3 steals. Johnson graduated in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in computer science and a minor in Chinese. After college, he could have gone to law school or played overseas in China.

Johnson opted to continue playing basketball, but saw that opportunity fall to the wayside. He felt like his career was over,  so he moved to Colorado Springs after a previous youth pastor reached out for help with their ministry. Johnson also started working for defense and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin.