Jasper Johnson with his family after winning the gold medal with USA Basketball in Switzerland.
Even though he was the 1997 USA Today and Sporting News National Defensive Player of the Year at Harrodsburg High School playing for his father, Alvis, before going on to an all-Southeastern Conference career at Kentucky. He was a NFL third round draft pick in 2002 and played for Arizona and San Francisco.
However, Alvis Johnson never coddled his star son or overly praised him. Instead, he pushed him to be his best, something Dennis Johnson has always tried to do with his son, Jasper, who is now a freshman basketball player for coach Mark Pope.
I wondered what Dennis Johnson thought of the way Pope has praised Jasper Johnson calling him a “superstar” along with “most dangerous scorer” in high school basketball last season.
“As a parent, I don’t (like it) because I’m the same way as my dad. I’m not too big on compliments for my son,” Dennis Johnson said on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk. “But I’ve kind of taken a little bit more of the Mark Pope approach as a football coach (at Woodford County High School).
“But with Jasper, I’m just really brutally honest with him about the things you do well and what you can work on. We have a lot of those conversations.”
Dennis Johnson knows there’s pressure for a Kentucky native to play for the Cats, especially in basketball, and that Jasper will be playing against a lot of older players this season and also battling older UK teammates for playing time.
“You’ve got to find your spot and it’s going to be some long days, some rough nights, but that’s part of the journey,” Dennis Johnson said. “That’s the mental toughness I wanted to be able to have myself as a father. You have to be able to speak positively, but then sometimes you gotta be able to say, ‘Hey man, this is not a good enough effort,’ and give him the truth.
“The last few years, I’ve been fortunate because I’ve been able to be the father instead of more of the coach. I let others do the coaching and now coach Pope and his staff have been great. I can look at him from a bird’s eye view, especially sitting up at the very top (of gyms) like I do.”
I knew Alvis Johnson for almost 50 years before his recent passing. I remember when Dennis and his brother, Derrick, were born. I’ve known Jasper Johnson his entire life and still remember when Alvis, a successful high school football coach, told me he gave his blessing to Jasper giving up football after his high school sophomore season to concentrate on basketball.
On WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk, I asked Dennis Johnson if Jasper listened to his advice better than he did advice his father offered him.
‘Probably not because my dad would grab me and throw me around,” Dennis Johnson said. “I would have like 15 tackles and three sacks and he would say it wasn’t good enough because you missed a tackle.”
Dennis Johnson still remembered a game against LSU when he made a tackle for no gain on third and one. On fourth down, he thought he stopped LSU star running back Kevin Faulk short of the first down but the officials gave him the first down.
“I never in my life had a stinger, but I did and my arm is numb. My dad is about 10 rows up (in the stands) and I’m not going to tell you what my dad said as I was coming off the field. I thought I did a great job but it’s just different times. I’ve had those conversations with Jasper, and no they haven’t always been great but you gotta have them.”
5 Responses
Tough love keeps your head on straight.
That should help Jasper deal with the lack of PT this year unless someone gets hurt. Injuries are a part of the game. Last year when the injuries came, our reserves were not up to the task of being the next man up. They all had flashes but were not as good as the guy they were replacing. That should be different this year, at least at the guard/wing positions. Not knowing if Quaintance will be 100% by November and not knowing when or if Jelavic will be cleared to play could leave us thin at the 4 and 5 spots. Potter and Moreno may be called on to play significant minutes and that could be our kryptonite. As for Jasper, he has the misfortune of playing behind Lowe, Aberdeen, and Chandler at the point and behind Oweh and Noah at the shooting guard spot. The 3 spot has Dioubate, Williams, and Hawthorne. If nobody gets hurt, where are the minutes for Johnson? His Dad will tell him that his time is coming, but maybe not until next year. If we sign Caleb Holt, it may not come even then…that kid is a shooter unlike any I have ever seen. The experienced depth at Kentucky will probably be the reason he signs with someone else. Even if Holt goes somewhere else, Jasper will still be playing behind Noah who will most likely be the SEC player of the year in the 2026/27 season. Jasper will play more, but won't start. If we avoid injuries and Noah's game develops like I think it will, Jasper will probably be looking at the transfer portal at the season's end. If I am right, we at least make the Final 4 this year and possibly win No. 9. and will be favored to repeat in 27. I give Jasper credit for signing with Kentucky, but if I had been his agent, I would have told him to go somewhere else where he could start his freshman year and be OAD. Jasper's dad may be telling him that he has plenty of time to play at the professional level and make the big money, but he will never get another chance to be part of a national championship team in college unless he stays at Kentucky. I hope that's the case anyway.
Dennis is a unbelievable person and a even better dad. I've had the privilege of talkin to him a couple of times and both times he doesn't brag and boast about his son. He's also not military hard on him. He kinda let's him do his own thing. Which Incredibly smart given the circumstances. His mom is a also a treasure. She's so nice and very easy going. I see why Jasper is a great kid. I wish him nothing but the best. If I could give him any advice it would be to stick and stay. Don't let everyone get in his ear saying he deserves this and he deserves that. I know Jasper doesn't listen to the noise. He will have a role this year. It won't be as big and flashy as he's used too. In 2 years you will be in the NBA so don't rush nothing, work hard and everything else will fill itself out.
Reed Sheppard didn't start and played the 3rd most minutes on the team. He was supposed to be a 2 or 3 year player. Some said 4 years. Gilchrist-Alexander was tabbed a 4 year guy. Johnson isn't coming to Ky to sit the bench or play a couple minutes a game. Quaintence didn't come to be a backup either.
Booker wasn’t a starter – anyone wanna trade their income for his ?