Keldon Johnson has arrived. Born in Virginia, KJ has been with the Spurs the longest out of anyone on the roster. His seven years were bordering on making the Harvey Dent line from The Dark Knight prophecy when he said, "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
Once a beloved player for his energy on the court and enthusiasm off it, fans began to turn on Johnson. He hadn't reached the level Spurs Nation expected of him, and as the losing seasons mounted, so did the frustration. Calls to trade him were loud and consistent, even here. I've personally written about trading the former Kentucky Wildcat to another team for anything from picks to another player.
Three games into the 2025-26 season, I'm glad that didn't happen. If you know how much Keldon loves San Antonio, you know he feels the same way.
“I love the city of San Antonio, love the fans, everything about San Antonio, so being able to win in front of this crowd and bring that fire to this city, it’s personal to me.”
-Keldon Johnson 🥲 pic.twitter.com/i7e8ksXUT3
— Silver & Black Coffee Hour (@SlvrBlkCoffeeHr) October 26, 2025
Johnson is giving Spurs fans what they always wanted
KJ's words about San Antonio truly hit home. You want this guy to succeed in a silver and black uniform, so it's good to see how much he's turned it around. After the game, Coach Mitch Johnson lauded the younger of the two Johnsons (no relation). "Keldon right now is impacting winning more than he ever has," he told reporters.
That's the crux of the past issue. He wasn't impacting winning like fans had hoped, and after six years, the patience was running out. The seven-year veteran was still taking too many ill-advised shots in the lane, turning down open threes, and when he took them, he missed most of them anyway. In the last couple of months of last season, things started to change.
All of a sudden, his spacing was great, the shot selection was impeccable, and his finishing rate increased. He's picked up right where he left off and added to the success he was already having. Johnson is averaging 13 points, seven rebounds, and zero turnovers. He's shooting 64% FG and 50% 3PT. That'll be more than enough.
Johnson shot 50% from deep during the preseason, and now he's carried that into the games that matter. Nobody is going to want to trade this man now. The Spurs are on a mission this season. They've set their sights on the playoffs, and a Sixth Man of the Year candidate will help them get there. If he keeps playing like this, he just might win it.