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This story appears in SLAM 246. Get your copy here.
It’s a heater on this late August day in Dallas, TX. Regardless of the scorching solar and inescapable humidity, there’s an upbeat tone behind the voice of five-star guard Tre Johnson. Calling on the telephone from his hometown, the No. 4 participant within the Class of 2024 simply completed up his day by day summer season routine: a morning carry and a day talent session. On this explicit Wednesday, the 6-6 Dallas native was ready to slot in some Professional-Am runs in between. Plus, he snagged a pair of the “Straightforward Cash” KD 3s earlier than hitting the weights. Total, an honest day for any typical hoop head.
Besides there’s nothing typical about Tre Johnson. He’s spent the previous three months touring throughout the nation, from the Nike EYBL circuit to quite a few top-ranked camps and academies. And to cap it off, he dominated the weekend on the SLAM Summer season Traditional Vol. 5, securing the 2v2 championship with Aaliyah Chavez and the dub within the Saturday night time sport at Rucker Park. He additionally snagged the W in Vol. 4.
“To be 2-0 at Rucker with no losses? That’s an ideal feeling,” Tre says with amusing. However it’s not a jokey chuckle. It’s one which conveys a honest fact behind his reply, with a bit of little bit of perspective on prime. I imply, he did simply drop 14 on the most hallowed basketball park on the earth.
In three seasons at Lake Highlands in Northeast Dallas, Johnson totaled effectively over 1,000 profession factors. His excessive launch level, infinite vary and magnetic ballhandling make him a menace from all around the flooring. His efficiency within the UIL 6A Texas State Championship was an ideal show of all his presents, because the baby-faced sniper dropped 29 factors to safe state-wide prominence for the Wildcats.
By the point you’re studying this, Johnson can have launched into a brand new step in his journey, suiting up for esteemed basketball powerhouse Hyperlink Academy. Tre introduced his choice to hitch the reigning nationwide champions this previous June and headed as much as campus in Branson, MO, only a few days after our name. There, he’ll be part of fellow Texas natives Jalen Shelley (No. 43 within the class of 2024) and BJ Davis-Ray (No. 54 within the class of 2025) in addition to head coach Invoice Armstrong, a former assistant at LSU.
“He’s a defensive man. He was a defensive coach in school. And that’s one thing that I’ve all the time wished to get higher and turn out to be nice at, as a lot as my scoring. Moving into there understanding I’m going to be pushed on protection,” Johnson says.
Whereas the Lions will boast a star-studded roster, Johnson is fast to level out that this yr’s squad will not be matching up as equally within the peak division. “So we’ve acquired to have the ability to get underneath individuals, trigger havoc and get turnovers, and likewise rebound,” he says. “If meaning me not having to attain 20-plus only for us to win but additionally filling up in different classes [like] assists and rebounding and stuff like that, that’s going to be massive for me this season.”
His prime six packages—Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Texas and Baylor—might have been initially tuned into his innate scoring skill, however the 17-year-old is already tapped into the little issues that may lead him to his final aim: the League.
“Protection can translate,” Johnson explains. “Having the ability to guard the opposite workforce’s finest participant, you may get placed on the courtroom for that. All people in school got here from being the perfect participant on their highschool workforce and scoring the ball.”
Within the meantime, Tre’s acquired a number of extra objects to examine off his highschool listing. An invitation to the Nike Hoop Summit and McDonald’s All-American Sport are looming. A gold medal with the U19 USA Workforce and nationwide championship with Hyperlink reside off within the distance. With a confirmed profitable mentality and maturity, the latter is straightforward cash.
Portrait by Marcus Stevens.
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