AJ Johnson had a major breakout game against the Brooklyn Nets a few days ago. Despite struggling for the first three quarters of the game, the Washington Wizards rookie erupted for 14 points in the final quarter. His efforts nearly gave the team a win, before Nets center Drew Timme sank the eventual game-winner.
Despite that loss, Johnson's electric performance has fans excited about his future. Even the rookie himself believes that the sky's the limit for him. Johnson claimed that he can be a "superstar" in the NBA, while acknowledging that he needs to do extra work to get to that level.
"I believe I can be a superstar 100 percent in this league," Johnson said, per Joshua Valdez. "I just gotta work my tail off every day, honestly. It's gonna take an everyday grind, doing all the little things. What I eat, what I watch, how I work is all gonna play into it."
Johnson finished the game with 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field. In the fourth quarter, the Wizards rookie showed off every trick in the book. He slashed to the basket for some athletic finishes, made a timely cut that he turned into a highlight dunk, and then made a couple of three-pointers near the end of the game to put the Wizards on top.
Unfortunately for the Wizards, they ended up losing the game 115-112 after Timme's layup gave the Nets the lead with less than a few seconds left in the game. Despite the loss, the Wizards gained some valuable experience that they can take into the following seasons.
Related: Wizards Fans Were Fired Up About AJ Johnson's Electric 4th Quarter vs. Nets
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This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 8:00 AM.