Joe Johnson is happy that he's back in the NBA donning the Detroit Pistons jersey. However, he admitted that there was really no active pursuit in trying to return to the big league.
Johnson last played in the 2017-18 season for the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets. After the season ended, the seven-time All-Star just faded away with no announcement of retirement. Seemingly out of the blue, he started playing for the 3-on-3 league — the Big3. He showcased to everyone, including NBA teams that he has lots of game left in the tank.
“Mentally I wasn’t retired but I wasn’t like, ‘I have to get back in.’ Can you just go and not retire — just sail off in the wind?” Johnson said, per Rod Beard of the Detroit News. “I never had retirement on my mind. I wasn’t just itching to get back. Everything has happened like it was supposed to. Playing in the Big3 was fun and I enjoyed it.
The 38-year-old admitted that he flocked to the Big3 simply for the love of the game. There was no real mission of using it as a jump-off point to return to the NBA.
“I didn’t get on that stage to get back to this stage. I did that for the love of the game; I had fun and did it for some of my brothers. It kind of led to this. I want to take advantage of that and see what comes out of it.”
Given his talent and significant experience, Johnson is expected to chip in some valuable minutes for the Pistons. He may not log in over 30 minutes of game time but he'll definitely play a key part in the Pistons' development.
Follow Us
Subscribe