Victor Wembanyama is the superstar in the San Antonio Spurs squad. De’Aaron Fox is the veteran star who is designated to hit the clutch shots. They are fulfilling their roles to the best of their abilities.
Can you call them the heart and the soul of the team? Head coach Mitch Johnson gives that role to another player.
Keldon Johnson got minutes in all 24 games the Spurs has played so far this season and is averaging 13.1 points and 6.5 rebounds. He may not have a play designed for him but to the coach, the 29th pick of 2019 is dedicated to making his presence felt in different ways.
“You see it all over the place. The kid’s just falling on the floor,” Mitch told reporters during practice.
“He puts his body in harm’s way for the betterment of the team every game. He’s the heart and soul of the team.”
“We got a lot of big personalities, and we got a face of the franchise, but that guy’s the heart and soul of the team, and I think you can see it when you watch him long enough,” he continued.
The Spurs will continue to need his hustle in the days to come as it is still unknown when will Wembanyama return.
San Antonio Spurs forward has been steady
One of the best game Keldon has had this season was in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup against the Los Angeles Lakers where he scored 17 points and grabbed 8 rebounds of the bench.
He’s been so steady that some fans thought he should get more media recognition.
He won’t be on top of any MIP polls, but Keldon Johnson’s name should at least be mentioned
The way he’s refined his game & has consistently played winning basketball this season is remarkable
His 57.3% FG is among the best in the league for non-centers pic.twitter.com/18r0dBJ2DL
— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) December 9, 2025
For the Spurs, tonight’s victory in L.A. broke a string of 14 consecutive losses against Luka Doncic.
Before tonight, Spurs’ last win vs. Luka came April 11, 2021 when Doncic was with Dallas.
Only one player appeared in both of those games for the Spurs: Keldon Johnson.
— Jeff McDonald (@JMcDonald_SAEN) December 11, 2025
Even Chandler Parsons thinks he is making a sacrifice for the sake of the team.
“Vassell, Keldon Johnson; if they were elsewhere their roles would be so much bigger… but it doesn’t seem like it bothers this group.” – Chandler Parsons
The Spurs have bought into the culture in San Antonio 💯 @MichelleDBeadle | @boogiecousins | @ChandlerParsons |… pic.twitter.com/rUtaEuFNSZ
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 9, 2025
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