Logan Johnson led the Gaels in points per game, assists, and free throws. Photo by Tod Fierner
After a Big Final Season with the Gaels, Logan Johnson Signs with the San Antonio Spurs
He earned honors as Defensive Player of the Year in the WCC. Now he has his sights on the NBA.
With the NBA Draft come and gone, one particular Saint Mary's men's basketball star has been busy latching on with an NBA team. Logan Johnson is the latest a long line of Gaels to have joined the San Antonio Spurs. Sources familiar with the league announced his signing with the Spurs on June 23.
Johnson was named the WCC's Defensive Player of the Year for the 2022–23 season. That was a first in his college career, and ensured him recognition as one of the best defensive players in the country.
Johnson had 151 steals as a Gael, the fourth most in program history, and led the team with 55 this year. Those numbers helped him become a Lou Henson Award finalist, given to the best mid-major player in the country. He also set a career-best in rebounding average at 5.0 per game. His all-around game improved in his fifth collegiate season, leading the Gaels in points per game (14.5), assists (125), and free throws (107).
Johnson’s postseason accolades did not stop at the conference level. He became the first Gael to be named a Lou Henson All-American since Jock Landale in 2018. Johnson also was named First Team All-District by the USBWA just prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament.
Sights Set on the NBA
Basketball is certainly a family affair in the Johnson household. Logan will attempt to become the second Johnson child to reach the NBA. His older brother, Tyler, debuted in the NBA with the Miami Heat in 2015 and spent eight seasons in the league, including three games with the Spurs in 2022. Tyler played 354 NBA games and currently plays in Australia with the Brisbane Bullets.
Logan spoke with SMC Athletics in January about how he modeled so much of his game after his brother, seeing all the success he had as a defensive-minded, left-handed shooting player.
Multiple Gaels have gotten their start in the Association via the Spurs. Patty Mills was the first, after being taken by San Antonio in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft and winning a title with the Spurs in 2014. Jock Landale followed, debuting with the Spurs during the 2021–22 season. Last year, Tommy Kuhse signed a contract in August with the Spurs and spent the year playing in the G-League with their Austin affiliate.
Mills now plays with the Brooklyn Nets, while Landale enjoyed a significant role with the Phoenix Suns. Matthew Dellavedova also played in the NBA last season with the Sacramento Kings, but has since returned to Melbourne United in the NBL.
READ AN IN-DEPTH FEATURE PROFILE: Gael Spotlight: Zero Doubt About Logan Johnson
And read this story as it first appeared at SMCGaels.com.