Masai Ujuri told Stanley Johnson he was bad at basketball

Johnson’s next stop was with the Toronto Raptors, where he averaged 3.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game on 38% shooting from the field from 2019 to 2021. He also played three games for Toronto’s G League Raptors 905. Though Johnson once scored a career-high 35 points for Toronto and was viewed as a defensive stopper, his tenure concluded with some tough love from Raptors president Masai Ujiri and other members of the front office. Johnson says he needed that career-altering honesty from Ujiri.
Source: Marc J. Spears @ The Undefeated

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
“To tell me I’m bad at basketball, it’s a hard conversation to have with a professional athlete. It takes a different type of man to tell you that to your face & not in a pessimistic way, in a constructive way,” #Lakers Stanley Johnson on Masai Ujiri convo bit.ly/3GJ2Qm5 – 2:00 PM

Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
The reboot of Stanley Johnson. Will the SoCal native finally find an #NBA home with the #Lakers? Story in @TheUndefeated. bit.ly/3GJ2Qm5 – 10:46 AM

Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
Jan. 17, 2021: the Lakers are defending champs with an 11-3 record. Frank Vogel is a viable coach of the year candidate.
Jan. 17, 2022: Stanley Johnson saves Frank Vogel’s job by punishing Rudy Gobert in pick-and-roll in a fourth quarter comeback.
What in the ever-loving fuck? – 1:00 PM

Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
Tuesday’s @LockedOnLakers podcast! We discuss a huge win over the Jazz, Westbrook dunking (and mopping), if the win means anything moving forward, Stanley Johnson, and more. #FirstListen @LockedOnNetwork @LockedOnNBAPods
Subscribe. Rate. Enjoy. Thx.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lak… – 10:50 AM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon
” I think it feels good doing what I came here to do.”
Stanley Johnson and the Lakers reserves power a fourth-quarter rally to knock off the Jazz, end a 3-game losing streak and fulfill LeBron’s Twitter promise: ocregister.com/2022/01/17/sta… – 2:35 AM

Melissa Rohlin @melissarohlin
LeBron James on Stanley Johnson: “People forget that he was a top-10 pick in our league and he’s only 25 years old. He’s a guy that’s hungry and wants to go out and prove that he belongs in the NBA.” – 2:15 AM

Ryan Ward @RyanWardLA
LeBron says he knew Stanley Johnson would make “an immediate impact” on this team. – 1:50 AM

Ryan Ward @RyanWardLA
LeBron James on Stanley Johnson: “People forget he was a top 10 pick in our league. … We got a gem in him and Austin [Reaves].” – 1:49 AM

Ryan Ward @RyanWardLA
Stanley Johnson: “I pray every morning, I go to practice and I go home.” – 1:32 AM

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Asked about attacking Gobert off the dribble in that 4th Q, Stanley Johnson said, “LeBron’s a smart player.”
Johnson noted that LeBron suggested/set up that attack with LAL being small, and that teams have had success playing that way against Utah in the past. – 1:23 AM

Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
Stanley Johnson on his energy pic.twitter.com/9Ig5nq0yLL – 1:23 AM

James Boyd @RomeovilleKid
The Stanley Johnson game. – 1:08 AM

Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
Lakers bench:
Stanley Johnson: +18
Malik Monk: +17
Talen Horton-Tucker: +15
Austin Reaves: +13
I think you could make credible cases for any of those four as full-time starters. They’ve all been terrific over the past few weeks. – 1:08 AM

Dave McMenamin @mcten
Lakers beat the Jazz 101-95 in a win that can best be described as spirited. LeBron 25p 7r 7a; Stanley Johnson 15p on 7-of-9 5r 3a 2b; Monk 14p 7r; Westbrook 15p 8r; THT 11p; Dwight 4p 8r 3s 2b. LAL is 22-22 w/ IND at home Wednesday. – 1:07 AM

Brad Turner @BA_Turner
Lakers break 3 game losing streak with 101-95 win over Jazz. LeBron James 25 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists. Stanley Johnson 15 points, Russell Westbrook 15 points, 8 assists. – 1:07 AM

StatMuse @statmuse
Stanley Johnson (15) had more points than Donovan Mitchell (13) tonight. – 1:06 AM

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Stanley Johnson has 10 of his 15 points in this 4th Q. – 1:03 AM

Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
The Lakers have awarded Stanley Johnson an ultra-rare 10-day extension to his 10-day contract. AK – 12:59 AM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon
Frank Vogel is challenging possession on that play when Bogdanovic appeared to lose the ball after Stanley Johnson poked it. Think the Lakers could win this one, which would give them the ball with 1:18 left and a 95-89 lead. – 12:56 AM

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Frank Vogel opted not to use a challenge on a questionable call in the 1st half, when Ariza may have avoided fouling Gobert … meaning he had it to use now, with 1:18 left, the ball appearing to go off Bogdanovic.
Who stripped him? Stanley Johnson. – 12:56 AM

Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
Austin Reaves and Stanley Johnson on the glass. Saving the game. – 12:54 AM

Allen Sliwa @AllenSliwa
Stanley Johnson has changed this game… – 12:53 AM

Bill Oram @billoram
Stanley Johnson just beat Gobert to the rebound then had the assist to Avery Bradley for the 3. What a wild game. – 12:53 AM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon
Russ checking in with 3:24 remaining in the fourth quarter. The closing lineup will be: Stanley Johnson, LeBron, Avery Bradley, Russ and THT. – 12:52 AM

Ben Anderson @BensHoops
I haven’t watched a lot of Lakers basketball through the years but Stanley Johnson might be the best player in that franchise’s history. – 12:50 AM

StatMuse @statmuse
Live look at Stanley Johnson being guarded by Rudy Gobert. pic.twitter.com/1h9siry4Fs – 12:50 AM

Dave McMenamin @mcten
The Lakers fell down by 10 and battled back here to go up 87-83 midway through the 4th Q thanks in large part to Stanley Johnson. He has 8 of his 13 pts in the 4th and is making an impact on the defensive end too. – 12:47 AM

Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
Stanley Johnson is shredding the Jazz right now, scoring 8 of the Lakers’ last 10 points with some timely drives. He’s up to 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting in 18 minutes. He continues to make his case to be on the 15-man roster. – 12:47 AM

Bill Oram @billoram
Magic Johnson bringing the best out in Stanley Johnson – 12:47 AM

Eric Walden @tribjazz
Jazz are getting out-hustled by Stanley Johnson. He’s up to 13p on 6-8 shooting, and the Jazz are down 87-83 with 6 minutes to go. – 12:47 AM

James Boyd @RomeovilleKid
Stanley Johnson going crazy!! 😂 – 12:47 AM

Melissa Rohlin @melissarohlin
Stanley Johnson is sure taking advantage of his opportunity… – 12:46 AM

Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
Stanley Johnson certainly making his case for the Lakers to keep him. Johnson being really aggressive when the Lakers needed a lift from someone. – 12:45 AM

Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
CAN PELINKA GET STANLEY JOHNSON SOME HELP AT THE DEADLINE????? BK – 12:45 AM

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Stanley Johnson has 6 straight points here, a pair of buckets at the rim, then a pull-up J with Gobert hanging way off him.
LeBron or Johnson have been playing the 5 on defense, Gobert unable to take advantage, and they’ve been bringing him out of the paint on the other end. – 12:44 AM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon
I now see I was wrong to tweet that Rudy Gobert would get the better of Stanley Johnson — #LakerNation I apologize and I’ll be better – 12:43 AM

Eric Walden @tribjazz
The energy has shifted again, and the Lakers have the momentum once again. Jazz lead 83-79, with a Stanley Johnson FTA coming after the timeout. Jazz need to find a way to get themselves playing with force once again. – 12:40 AM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon
Stanley Johnson with the transition basket against Gobert, the foul and the flex. Lakers within four points with 8 min left. – 12:39 AM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon
Stanley Johnson battling Gobert on the boards and trying to stop his attempts at the rim is admirable, but it’s just not a battle he’s going to win a lot. – 12:35 AM

Ryan Ward @RyanWardLA
Frank Vogel on keeping Stanley Johnson on another 10-day: “He’s one of our best defenders. … Everything we’re doing right now is to keep as much flexibility as we can.” – 8:54 PM

Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
The Lakers announce they have signed Stanley Johnson to another 10-day contract. – 1:52 PM

Ryan Ward @RyanWardLA
Lakers make it official that they’ve signed Stanley Johnson to another 10-day contract: pic.twitter.com/KqumlgDC07 – 1:49 PM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon
One more 10-day deal for Stanley Johnson: pic.twitter.com/o79vaW6CzU – 1:47 PM

Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Lakers announced they have signed Stanley Johnson to a second 10-Day contract. – 1:47 PM

Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
The Lakers plan to sign forward Stanley Johnson to another 10-day contract on Monday, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. – 9:01 PM

More on this storyline

“That was a real honest conversation. That’s what I needed to hear,” Johnson said. “In the NBA, honesty is not always the first and foremost thing that people want to give you because it’s not the easiest thing to say to people that are professionals. I’ve been playing basketball all my life. I’m pretty damn good at basketball, so to tell me I’m bad at basketball, it’s a hard conversation to have with a professional athlete. -via The Undefeated / January 19, 2022

“It takes a different type of man to tell you that to your face and not in a pessimistic way, in a constructive way. What are you going to do? Are you going to take [it poorly] or are you going to do something about it? I felt like I want to do something about it. I’m 25 years old. I know I’ve been fortunate. I’ve been in the league for a long time because I got in early, but I’m not even anywhere close to my prime, anywhere close to the player that I can be in my life.” -via The Undefeated / January 19, 2022

Dave McMenamin: The Lakers announce they have signed Stanley Johnson to another 10-day contract. This is the last 10-day they can have him on before making a decision to retain him for the rest of the season or not. -via Twitter @mcten / January 17, 2022