The Los Angeles Lakers took a chance on former Toronto Raptors forward Stanley Johnson with another 10-day hardship contract recently, the last such deal they can offer him before they must make a roster decision on him. Johnson has played just a hair over 20 minutes per game for the Lakers but has played well in his limited action. Considering what Johnson revealed he was told by Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri, it's not surprising that the young forward has been playing inspired basketball for LeBron James and Los Angeles. Here's what Johnson said he needed to hear before joining LeBron and the Lakers, as originally reported by The Undefeated.
Stanley Johnson on his talk with Raptors’ Masai Ujiri:
“To tell me I’m bad at basketball, that’s what I needed to hear – 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.” (via @TheUndefeated)
Respect. pic.twitter.com/EHa4orKh2D
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 19, 2022
That is quite the conversation Stanley Johnson is mentioning here. According to Johnson, Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri told him he was “bad at basketball”, something that the Lakers forward said he needed to hear.
No wonder Johnson has been doing so well in limited minutes for the Lakers. He probably hears that brutally honest evaluation from Ujiri and the Raptors in is head every time he takes the court alongside LeBron James and his Los Angeles teammates.
Perhaps, Ujiri's words are what helped inspire Johnson's recent strong performance against the Utah Jazz, which saw him score 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers to a win. The former Raptors forward credited LeBron for helping him greatly in the waning moments of that contest.
There you have it, Lakers fans. You, along with LeBron James, can thank Raptors GM Masai Ujiri for lighting a fire under Stanley Johnson.
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