Jalen Johnson impressed the Bucks superstar with his promising development and all-around talent.
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is a huge fan of Jalen Johnson.
Right after his team's 112-110 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, Antetokounmpo offered nothing but praise for the emerging 24-year-old star. Johnson went toe-to-toe against the Greek sensation in Atlanta, dropping a staggering performance of 28 points, 16 boards and six assists in 40 minutes.
"I see greatness in him for sure," he said. "I think he’s one of the best young talents in this league. He has a very high ceiling as long as he puts his head down, keeps working hard, listens to his coaching staff, and keeps improving to help his team win.
"I think he has a bright future."
Johnson has been a major revelation this season. The fifth-year forward is flashing all-around wonders by averaging a career-high 23.0 points, 10.2 boards and 8.0 assists in 41 games so far.
Given his numbers, Johnson is slated to receive his first career All-Star nod this year and is an early strong candidate for the Most Improved Player.
Antetokounmpo revealed that he has known Johnson since he was a teenager, as the Hawks forward was a teammate of his younger brother Alex in AAU. As such, he's happy with how the former Duke prospect tremendously developed since being drafted in 2021 as the 20th overall pick.
With Trae Young now in Washington, the Hawks have fully given their keys to Johnson to lead the entire franchise's future.
"Seeing him now, how he’s flourished into the player he is today, is fun. It makes me feel old—but I’m not old," Antetokounmpo joked.
"The sky is the limit for him. He just has to stay humble and stay hungry."
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