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Puff Johnson: 3 things to know about the UNC basketball guard, Cameron Johnson's brother

erik hall, the fayetteville observer
·4 min read

One of the biggest accomplishments Puff Johnson had achieved before arriving at North Carolina was capturing a high school state title.

He led Moon Area High School in Carnot-Moon, Pennsylvania, to the 2018-19 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 5A state title. He averaged 22.1 points and 9.4 rebounds that season, according to The Trib.

Here's some basic information about Puff Johnson:

Find out three more things to know about UNC men's basketball guard Puff Johnson.

Why is Puff Johnson called Puff?

North Carolina's Puff Johnson plays during a college basketball game against St. Peter's in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
North Carolina's Puff Johnson plays during a college basketball game against St. Peter's in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.

Puff Johnson's mom, Amy Johnson, gave him the nickname Puff, because he liked the cereal Cocoa Puffs.

"She says I like Cocoa Puffs, but I don't know if that's a true story," Puff Johnson said to 247Sports. "I really don't know."

His full given name is Donovan Christopher Johnson. Though his mom gave him the nickname, she isn't a fan of it.

"The funny thing about that though — so my mom tells me to this day, she always tells me this, she said, 'If I could go back in time, I'd never give you the nickname Puff.' And I said, 'Why?' She was like, 'Because I really like your name Donovan,'" Puff Johnson said to 247Sports in January.

Puff Johnson's brother is Cameron Johnson

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 02: Puff Johnson #14 of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrates with his brother Cameron Johnson after defeating the Duke Blue Devils 81-77 in the second half of the game during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 02: Puff Johnson #14 of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrates with his brother Cameron Johnson after defeating the Duke Blue Devils 81-77 in the second half of the game during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Puff Johnson's brother is former Pitt and North Carolina men's basketball player Cameron Johnson.

Cameron Johnson played at Pittsburgh from 2014-17, and he played at UNC from 2017-19. In 2018-19 at UNC, he earned All-ACC first team and All-ACC Tournament first team honors.

The Phoenix Suns drafted Johnson with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, and he's been an occasional starter for the Suns throughout his first three seasons in the NBA.

Puff Johnson, Cameron Johnson: Suns' Cam Johnson's brother, North Carolina's Puff Johnson, ready for Duke in Final Four

Puff Johnson toe injury

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 02: Puff Johnson #14 of the North Carolina Tar Heels falls after shooting the ball in the first half of the game against the Duke Blue Devils during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 02: Puff Johnson #14 of the North Carolina Tar Heels falls after shooting the ball in the first half of the game against the Duke Blue Devils during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Puff Johnson suffered a toe injury on his right foot in January 2021. It sidelined him for the final 15 games of his debut season at North Carolina. His final game in 2020-21 came against Wake Forest on Jan. 20, 2021.

He then had subsequent hip flexor and ankle injuries that prevented him from playing his first game in 2021-22 until on Jan. 15, 2022, vs. Georgia Tech. He played four minutes that game.

"When I first walked onto the court, I got a standing ovation. It was honestly a great moment, just to be back out there with my teammates. Until that day, I hadn’t checked into a game for 360 days," Puff Johnson said to the Beaver County Times of his return in January 2022.

Former head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels fist-bumps Puff Johnson #14 before their game against the Loyola Greyhounds at the Dean E. Smith Center on November 09, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Former head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels fist-bumps Puff Johnson #14 before their game against the Loyola Greyhounds at the Dean E. Smith Center on November 09, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Johnson said he tried not to get down while out for a year with injuries.

"Even though I’m getting hurt or even though I was getting hurt at the time, I was still really grateful that I have the opportunity that I have," Johnson said. "Because a lot of people — a lot of people who I grew up with — would kill to be a player at North Carolina. So, that’s the way I saw it. I didn’t really see it as, 'Woe is me. Awh, I can’t play.' But I saw it as just a time that I could reflect. And I just realized where I am and how far I’ve come and how far I still can go."

Here's more Puff Johnson news:

Check out the Puff Johnson bio on the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball website.

Erik Hall is the lead digital producer for sports with the USA Today Network. You can find him on Twitter @HallErik.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Puff Johnson: 3 facts on the North Carolina basketball guard