Jeff Teague recently appeared on “The Draymond Green Show,” where he talked about one of the most intimidating players in the league. Teague, who played alongside veteran forward James Johnson for two years at Wake Forest, recounted the experience of knowing not to cross him.
During the podcast, Teague and Green discussed James Johnson, known for being an enforcer in the NBA, his black belt in karate and his practice of kickboxing and mixed martial arts.
Green initiated the conversation stating, “Speaking of James Johnson, probably the most feared man in the NBA,” to which Jeff Teague immediately chimed in, “I’ve seen him knock out three dudes at one time, and I’ve seen him knock out a seven-footer.”
Johnson was the subject of a story Teague shared from their college days, highlighting his scary presence and reputation.
“His whole family, black belts. He got videos of his dad beating his legs with like wood, but they got their feet up like six inches. So when you see James’ legs it’s massive,” Teague said.
James Johnson had Jeff Teague's back when they were in college
Although Johnson hasn't achieved notable milestones in the NBA aside from a lengthy 15-season career, he is widely respected and rarely challenged. Many are unaware of his martial arts prowess, which includes disciplined and dedicated practice.
“Our freshman year, (football players) kept calling me Mike Conley when I came to Wake Forest. He was like, ‘You call him Mike Conley again, I'm gonna knock you out.' But nobody know that he had this kickboxing resume. One of the coaches like, ‘Aye, bro. Leave him alone. He not who y'all think he is,” Teague recalled.
At just 18 years old, Johnson won his first martial arts fight in an impressive 97 seconds. He has also competed in MMA across three states, maintaining an undefeated record. Aware of Johnson's formidable fighting skills, Teague was glad to have him as a teammate during their college days.
“And the coaches start telling him, ‘He a kickboxer.' We didn't know either so we had a meeting. This dude had a kickboxing match set up. The coach has to sit us down and tell us, ‘Yo, are you gonna be a kickboxer or a basketball player?' He like, ‘I need some money.' Oh, you're about to go fight? For money? Oh, hell no. I'm not f**king with this dude,” the former NBA star said.
Jeff Teague and Jeff Johnson's very different NBA careers
Jeff Teague and James Johnson played two years together at Wake Forest before Teague declared for the 2009 NBA Draft.
Teague was selected 19th overall by the Atlanta Hawks and went on to have a successful career, becoming an All-Star in 2015 and winning an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.
Conversely, Johnson was selected 16th overall by the Chicago Bulls. Throughout his 15-season career, he has played for 10 different teams. At 37, he is now a free agent.
Despite lacking the accolades typically used to judge players, Green and Teague respect the NBA journeyman. Green, in particular, respect Johnson’s discipline, and courage.
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