Spurs' Alize Johnson's Social Media Among NBA's Fastest Growing

Johnson now finds himself on a list that includes LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson.

© Andy Marlin, USA TODAY

San Antonio Spurs fans have been showing support in full force since the team signed journeyman forward Alize Johnson to a deal. 

Now, there's stats to prove it. 

According to PopularBasketballers.com, Johnson has had the fifth-highest growth in Instagram followers since Aug. 13. It was announced on Aug. 16 that he and the Spurs had agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal.

Johnson, who currently has about 830,000 followers on Instagram, has seen an approximate follower increase of 110,000 in a little over two weeks. This trails only Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, and Warriors guard Klay Thompson. 

Johnson's follower increase is higher than that of star-level players like Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, though all three of these players have millions of more followers than the 26-year-old Johnson. 

Johnson was drafted 50th overall in 2018 by the Indiana Pacers after a successful career at mid-major Missouri State. After just one start and 31 appearances with the Pacers, he's become a journeyman role player that's had stints with the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, and most recently, New Orleans Pelicans. 

He's career averages stand at 2.5 points, three rebounds, and 48 percent shooting as the season draws closer. 

His best stint was with the Nets in 2021, where he recorded a 20-20 game in April of that year. Against the Pacers, Johnson scored 20 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in a Brooklyn win. At the time, it was the first 20-20 game in the NBA since Nov. 2018 and just the third in Nets history.

The Spurs were already the ninth-best rebounding team last season at 45.3 boards per game. Johnson, at 6-8, 212, should bolster that area if he makes the opening-night roster. 

But regardless of what his future holds with the Spurs, he's clearly been one of the most under-the-radar success stories. Johnson worked at McDonalds prior to receiving a lack of Division 1 offers, as he played at Frank Phillips Community College in Borger, Texas before finally transferring to Missouri State. 

Now, after recording a 20-20 game in the NBA and signing with one of the league's most-decorated franchises, Johnson's success story continues to grow based on the latest love he's received from a slew of new Instagram followers. 

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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