Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Stanley Johnson recently had a spirited exchange with a critic who said the former lottery pick should be in jail for the way he played in L.A.
Me in jail? What I do? https://t.co/aPsxSB6XYx
— 7even (@iAmSJ) September 14, 2023
Lol I don’t think your watching my guy
— 7even (@iAmSJ) September 14, 2023
I signed off a COVID exemption Kinda like what else did you want
— 7even (@iAmSJ) September 14, 2023
You don’t watch clown
When I signed the team needed players because of COVID
The exemption means you can sign players because you have guys out for covid
I earned my next 2 10 days and then inked a 2 year deal— 7even (@iAmSJ) September 14, 2023
Johnson also took some time to engage with other folks on X (formerly Twitter) and reflect on his tenure with Los Angeles.
It’s mutual
Who would I be if I don’t interact with the collective thou? https://t.co/VCbUqicAwO— 7even (@iAmSJ) September 14, 2023
Take advantage of today https://t.co/WxBaQeuiOa
— 7even (@iAmSJ) September 14, 2023
Johnson appeared in 48 games for the Lakers during the 2021-22 season and played a substantial role. He got 22.8 minutes per game and even found himself in the starting lineup 27 times.
Overall, he averaged 6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 31.4 percent from beyond the arc.
As Johnson mentioned, he signed multiple 10-day deals with the Lakers during the 2021-22 season before inking a two-year contract with the organization while the campaign was still ongoing. The deal could have kept him with L.A. through last season, but he was traded away during the 2022 offseason.
The 2021-22 season is one that many Lakers fans would probably like to forget. It was marred by injuries and chemistry issues, causing the squad’s Big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook to fall short of expectations.
The Lakers, who some saw as title contenders before the 2021-22 season started, finished with a 33-49 record and missed the playoffs. It will likely always be remembered as one of the most disappointing years in the history of the franchise.
Fortunately, the 2022-23 season brought more joy to fans, as Los Angeles parlayed some midseason trades into a trip to the Western Conference Finals.
As for Johnson, he appeared in 30 games last season for the San Antonio Spurs. His role was limited, but he certainly made the most of it. Across 15.6 minutes per contest, he averaged 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in extremely efficient fashion (53.3 percent shooting from the field and 45.0 percent from deep).
Although at least one critic on social media seems to think that Johnson’s time with the Lakers was a waste, the Los Angeles native seems to have lots of love for the fan base overall, a nice sight to see after his stint with the organization.
