London Johnson, four-star guard, leaving Norcross (Georgia) to sign with G League Ignite
Four-star guard London Johnson, the reigning SBLive Georgia State Player of the Year, will not be returning to play for Norcoss (Ga.) in 2022-23.
Instead, he will reclassify from the class of 2023 to 2022 and sign a contract with the G League Ignite, the NBA G League announced Monday.
Johnson led Norcoss to a 7A Georgia state title in March and put up 28 points and eight boards in the championship game against Berkmar. He averaged more than 18 points, 5 rebounds and three assists per game on the season.
The 6-foot-4, 175-pound combo guard was ESPN's No. 32 prospect in the class of 2023 and had a long list of high-major college interest.
Now, he's skipping college for the pros.
“The main (reason) was being able to play against NBA talent and getting coached from the highest level NBA coaches,” Johnson told The Athletic. “Also, seeing the success from past (prospects), I really felt like I could create my own path and be successful myself.”
The G League Ignite is an NBA-run program that allows hand-picked teenagers and high school stars to collect a salary and develop in the G League until the player is NBA Draft eligible.
The Athletic reported the 18-year-old will receive higher than a $1 million salary, which would make him the team's highest paid player, and plans to play for two seasons.
He's a dual citizen of the United States and Jamaica and played for Jamaica's under-17 team. He was also invited to play in the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland in April, and represented Jamaica with the World Team.
He's not the first high-level prospect from Georgia to opt for the pros before finishing high school. Scoot Henderson, a projected high first round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, left Kell High School in Georgia to sign a two-year contract with the G League Ignite after his sophomore season.
His departure is surely a blow for Georgia high school basketball, but six ESPN Top 100 recruits in the class of 2023 still remain, including Wheeler five-star point guard Isaiah Collier, ESPN's No. 6 player in the class, and Newton High School four-star point guard Stephon Castle (No. 23).
Lead photo by Ed Turlington
