” The first thing that comes to mind is waking up in a bed in the hospital, with my mother sitting next to me holding my hand. She was talking to me but I couldn’t hear very well, and my vision was still blurry. Then I saw my father come into the room, and when I saw their faces, I knew something had happened to me. »
that is how Keyontae Johnson summarized this week, in the columns of Yahoo! Sports who dedicated an article to him on the occasion of the launch of the “March Madness” in which he participates with his team, the first thing he remembered after his terrible heart attack which occurred on December 12, 2020 in the middle of a match, which plunged him into coma for three full days.
“Junior” in Florida during this 2020/21 season, the winger from Virginia then saw his career change abruptly. On the sporting level, his trajectory towards the NBA was suddenly broken, while he practiced the best basketball of his university career (16 points and 4.5 rebounds) and imposed himself with more and more certainty over the weeks as a potential “first round pick” of the 2021 Draft.
But more importantly, his life was hanging by a thread.
” I ran as fast as possible towards him, and I applied the procedure that I knew to try to manage such a situation as well as possible. “remembered in particular Dave Werner, the athletic director for the health of the athletes within the program, particularly moved when talking about it this week, on ESPN. ” When we arrived in the tunnel after putting him on a stretcher, we started with a heart massage. And if the specialized medical personnel had not been there quickly, I think the outcome could have been more serious. »
Logically forced to end his season when he left the hospital a week later, Keyontae Johnson assured him: he was certainly not done with basketball.
” When my parents inquired about exactly what had happened to me, I told them very clearly that my goal was to resume the course of my career, to play basketball again. explained the former Gator. ” So we contacted many specialists, and we were then advised to go to the Mayo Clinic (Minnesota), because they had there the best specialists in the country regarding heart problems. And they gave me the green light to play again the following season. »
The following season, the 2021/22 financial year, Keyontae Johnson will not play again. For reasons related in particular to insurance, the University of Florida had not given it the green light. So started a white season for the player, who then metamorphosed into “Coach Key”.
” Not a single day did he let it appear in front of the group that he was having a bad day. And yet, he had some low morale, but he wanted his teammates to see him smiling every time, to see him as an inspiration. “Remembered in particular his former coach, Mike White, now in post on the side of Georgia. ” I will never forget how brave and courageous he was during this period. His love for basketball remained intact, while he was deprived of many everyday things he was used to – working out, training with his teammates. »
Thus, after this 2021/22 season devoid of any activity directly or indirectly related to basketball, Keyontae Johnson, to whom a beautiful tribute had been paid during the last home game of the Gators 2021/22 season, was ready to to come back. Finally, after almost two years of enforced absence.
At Kansas State, a new beginning
He then entered the NCAA transfer portal, and joined his new team shortly after: kansas statewho was launching a new project around Jerome Tang, a long-time assistant on Scott Drew’s staff at Baylor before accepting his first position as “head coach” at the head of the Wildcats last spring.
” Coach Tang detailed to me a vision for a project, he wanted to elevate the program and was not interested in a year of rebuilding. So he made me understand that he needed me “he developed thus. ” It stuck in my mind, especially coming from a freshman coach. I was determined, I wanted to come and remember why I was cited among the potential ‘Player of The Year’ in the SEC conference before my accident, and for that I wanted to rub shoulders with the Big-12, which is the best conference in the country. »
For his part, Jerome Tang remembered a very special visit by the player and his family to the university campus. When most of the time visiting players want reassurance about their playing time or their usage in the system, Keyontae Johnson and her parents had other, more important concerns.
” The questions they asked me were totally different from any player visits I’ve taken part in in my career. confirmed the Wildcats coach, who had experienced a similar case with Jared Butler at Baylor. ” His mom wanted to make sure we had a medical tracking system in place on campus, with doctors and hospitals. And I think that the fact that I was already familiar with such a situation, having been around [Jared Butler à Baylor]helped to appease them. »
Selected in the Big 12 best five
Nearly 20 months after a heart attack that could have cost him his life, Keyontae Johnson, last November, was back on the boards, in the jersey of the Kansas State Wildcats to play his “senior” season.
” I honestly thought he would have needed a bit of time to acclimate to the physical level of the Big 12 game. ” summed up Jerome Tang to discuss the season of his leader, who has indeed regained his best level in the last six months by compiling 17.7 points at 52% on shots and 7 rebounds, with a selection in the All-Big 12 First Team , the five major type of the season in the conference as a reward. ” We obviously wouldn’t have had the season we had without his level of play. He arrived in my project, established himself as the leader and made all his teammates better he added, as Kansas State kicks off its “March Madness” this Friday with a beautiful #3 seed in the East region.
” I had repeated it many times to my staff: if he came back, he was going to be even better! exclaimed Mike White, obviously delighted with the return to grace of his former player. ” I’m extremely proud of him and what he’s accomplished this season. »
” It’s the most beautiful story in the world of basketball.”
And for Jerome Tang, the doubts are even definitively dispelled: Keyontae Johnson is back on NBA radars. ” He’s a pro he simply said. ” A special player, who has a positive impact on the results of his team. »
” This is the most beautiful story in the world of basketball. To see him not only come back, but also continue to progress, is amazing. even added a Scout NBA, for Yahoo! Sports. ” His shot-creating skills and defensive versatility make him a player of definite value in the NBA. »
The person concerned assured in any case that he had worked hard with the aim of getting closer again to the Great League, whose entry doors were brutally closed to him, twenty months back.
” I have the feeling this season to have proven my qualities again, and that these were transferable to the highest level. he concluded thus. ” I can play with or without the ball. I showed that I could shoot a high success percentage. I was patient, and today I think it paid off. »
