Being a respected veteran across the association has its perks. For Chris Paul, who has cultivated his brand of “CP3” quite carefully throughout the course of his entire career, there is almost a need for him to be able to get that jersey number, regardless of which team he plays for. After signing with the San Antonio Spurs, though, Paul would have to ask Keldon Johnson, the owner of the jersey number “3”, to give way.
This is exactly what Johnson did, as he gave his new teammate his longtime jersey number with the Spurs. Now, the 24-year-old forward will be wearing the jersey number “0”, as revealed on his official Instagram account.
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This was the same jersey number that Johnson wore when the Spurs sent him down to their G-League affiliate in Austin back in his rookie 2019-20 campaign. For what it’s worth, Johnson played well for Austin and foreshadowed the level of scorer he would become in the NBA eventually, averaging 20.3 points per game on 53.1 percent shooting from the field in 31 games while donning the number “0”.
Keldon Johnson received flowers from his Spurs teammates for his kind gesture, and they look forward to seeing what’s next in his career.
“New Era we locked in 0
,” Devin Vassell commented on Johnson’s Instagram post.
“Yeah 0,” wrote Tre Jones.
“
,” expressed Jeremy Sochan.
“
,” added Blake Wesley.
Meanwhile, Johnson’s gesture to give Chris Paul his jersey number for the Spurs since day one means that Paul will be having the same jersey number that he has always had throughout his NBA career which has already spanned 18 seasons.
From New Orleans to Los Angeles to Houston to Oklahoma City to Phoenix and then to San Francisco, Paul has had the comfort of wearing the number “3” which at least gives him some semblance of stability after going through a ton of transitions, and now, the same is the case as he begins his journey in San Antonio.
Can the Spurs take a huge leap in Year 2 of the Victor Wembanyama era?
The 2023-24 season wasn’t a disaster for the Spurs in any capacity. Sure, it’s not exactly a promising sign that they won just 22 games last season despite adding one of the best defenders in the league in transcendent talent Victor Wembanyama. But it showed the areas of the ball where they needed a lot of work in, and it looks as though they’ve managed to fill those gaps this offseason.
For starters, the point guard situation last season was a mess. Jeremy Sochan showed that he is not a natural floor general, while Tre Jones, as good and willing of a playmaker as he is, leaves a lot to be desired on offense. Moreover, the Spurs’ wing depth last season wasn’t great, as they had to rely on Julian Champagnie to start at the three.
They rectified those situations this offseason by signing Chris Paul and acquiring Harrison Barnes in a salary dump. Paul is not the player he once was, but he makes sure that the offensive execution is on point. Meanwhile, Barnes gives the Spurs some size and scoring on the wing, allowing Keldon Johnson to thrive as a spark plug off the bench.
Leaps from Devin Vassell, Malaki Branham, and Sochan are possible given how young they are, while Stephon Castle could be an impact player from day one thanks to his defense. And with Wembanyama leading the way, these Spurs could make a lot more noise next season than people expect.
The post Spurs’ Chris Paul signing forces Keldon Johnson jersey number change appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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