A Personalized Look Into the Man Behind the Jams: Jalen Johnson
Jalen Johnson dunks while on the College Park Skyhawks in 2022.
As a member of the media, we are often told that we should not be the story. In this day and age of content creation and various forms of journalism and reporting, that line becomes more and more blurred. While I agree that what I do isn’t about me and I do not want to be the story, sometimes a journalist’s experiences help shape an understanding of a person. That’s how I’ve grown to understand Atlanta Hawks’ Jalen Johnson. The 24-year-old was drafted during a different period in the sports journalism landscape. Due to restrictions put into place because of Covid, my introduction to Jalen was through virtual media availability. It’s difficult to gauge what a player is like when your only interaction with them is through Zoom virtual press conferences. I would then travel to College Park to watch the Skyhawks and that’s where I saw Jalen take the floor with teammates such as AJ Lawson, Sharife Cooper, and Skylar Mays. From my observations, Jalen carried himself with a quiet resilience. He always seemed so focused, ready to work and also supportive of his teammates and those around him.
There's a thoughtfulness about Jalen that's not often brought up. I noticed he always donned a purple wristband on his right wrist. I never knew why. When I finally asked him, he told me it was in honor of his friend, Derek Gray, a basketball player from Madison, Wisconsin (around the area where Jalen is from) who passed away in 2022 at 20-years-old, due to a heart attack that he suffered during practice. "Just keeping his name alive on the court as much as I can. That's the reason I wear it."
When you see a player progress as Jalen has, you appreciate the process. You don’t see all of the grind but you see so much of it that you understand the underlying desire for success. Jalen’s numbers have increased in all of the notable categories; points, assists, and rebounds. He averaged a triple-double during the month of December in 2025. His performance was so impressive to start the season, he was selected as an All-Star for the first time in his career. But I saw something different in Jalen off the court, I saw someone more comfortable, someone more settled. "I feel myself growing every year, maturing every year. When you're thrown into an environment with a bunch of adults at such an early age, it kinda forces you to adapt much quicker than you kinda would like to at times. So I think that's been huge to me, being around older guys, seeing how they move. Seeing their confidence, like how it waivers, how it stays steady."
During the final regular season game on FanDuel Sports Network against the Miami Heat, Atlanta legend Dominique (‘Nique) Wilkins had this to say about Jalen being the face of the franchise: “Let me just tell you, he is the face of the franchise. And he’s earned that role. He’s earned that tag because what he’s done has been pretty incredible. His turnaround and what he’s done this season to be an All-Star.” Jalen noted that ‘Nique has been big in showing him and his family support and he's ready to take on that role. "At the end of the day, I know the work that I need to continue to do to be that guy. Like I said before, I'm ready for that challenge. I'm a man that loves a challenge. I'm excited for the challenges that lie ahead and what comes with that. Having that from a guy like 'Nique, obviously you want to be a great player like he was. That's something you chase and idolize."
In 2023 at an Atlanta Dream game, I spotted Jalen sitting courtside. I walked up to him to say hello and asked him if I could take a picture of him. He obliged with a smile and we briefly chatted. The reason this encounter stood out to me was because I chuckled as I was leaving and told Jalen he was going to be my “go-to” for interviews. See, John Collins had just been traded to the Utah Jazz and I was wondering who else I could grab for media. To my surprise, Jalen smiled and said “I got you.” But this wasn’t a casual, throwaway “I got you” because every time after that occurrence, whenever I asked Jalen if I could speak to him for a moment, he spoke to me. When he was on the brink of coming back from injury, he spoke to me. When he was chilling at a Dream game, he spoke to me. Jalen made it a point to recognize the media. If we were on the road, he’d casually mention how we show up. At All-Star weekend Los Angeles, he walked off and said to me, “Good seeing you out here.” Little comments such as those endeared him as a person, not just a player. And that’s just a glimpse into how Jalen was with those around him.
To me, Jalen always gave the impression of a person who leaned more on the quiet side. Granted, I only knew him from a media standpoint but I’d watch as other, more outspoken people were around him and he would be there, smiling and laughing but not always joining in on the loudness. So this season when I saw him put his arms around the shoulders of his teammates Dyson Daniels and Onyeka Okongwu after their loss in Detroit and talk to them, I saw the leader in him. I saw someone who noticed a moment where encouragement was needed and took it upon himself to do something about it. When Zaccharie Risacher landed awkwardly after a fast break dunk in Phoenix and exited the game, Nickeil Alexander-Walker said it was Jalen who said, “let’s go get this win for Zacch.” The Hawks, who were down 22 points at some point in that game, ended up winning 124-122.
Jalen views himself more as a "reserved" type of person, "When I'm first meeting somebody, I'm a man of few words." But he describes his personality as opening up more once he gets to know someone. He finds his need to be vocal more present in certain situations versus others, as he oftentimes leads by example, "More specifically, with guys like Mo (Gueye) and Ace (Asa Newell). I notice their paths are very similar to mine..Sometimes you need a voice and understanding what you're going through."
Jalen's teammate, Onyeka, has been a witness to his growth in real time. The two are close and even have a dynamic akin to Kevin Chouinard and Brad Rowland (Hawks fans faithful know) or maybe Martin and Tommy from the TV show Martin. There are always jokes and quips between Jalen and Onyeka, but it comes from an obvious place of friendship and brotherhood. Onyeka has known Jalen since 2021 and he gets visibly happy to give his teammate props for how he's taken on this leadership role, "I love it. I've watched him since he's entered the league up until now. I'm happy for him, happy for his family. They're great people. And I'm ready for him to show out in his first playoff series being number one...Uno! I call him 'Uno'."
All eyes will be on Jalen Johnson in his first appearance in the playoffs as that guy. While everyone has expectations, I'm sure they pale in comparison to what Jalen expects of himself. The development of a player is more than just what happens on the court.
There's a thoughtfulness about Jalen that's not often brought up. I noticed he always donned a purple wristband on his right wrist. I never knew why. When I finally asked him, he told me it was in honor of his friend, Derek Gray, a basketball player from Madison, Wisconsin (around the area where Jalen is from) who passed away in 2022 at 20-years-old, due to a heart attack that he suffered during practice. "Just keeping his name alive on the court as much as I can. That's the reason I wear it."
When you see a player progress as Jalen has, you appreciate the process. You don’t see all of the grind but you see so much of it that you understand the underlying desire for success. Jalen’s numbers have increased in all of the notable categories; points, assists, and rebounds. He averaged a triple-double during the month of December in 2025. His performance was so impressive to start the season, he was selected as an All-Star for the first time in his career. But I saw something different in Jalen off the court, I saw someone more comfortable, someone more settled. "I feel myself growing every year, maturing every year. When you're thrown into an environment with a bunch of adults at such an early age, it kinda forces you to adapt much quicker than you kinda would like to at times. So I think that's been huge to me, being around older guys, seeing how they move. Seeing their confidence, like how it waivers, how it stays steady."
During the final regular season game on FanDuel Sports Network against the Miami Heat, Atlanta legend Dominique (‘Nique) Wilkins had this to say about Jalen being the face of the franchise: “Let me just tell you, he is the face of the franchise. And he’s earned that role. He’s earned that tag because what he’s done has been pretty incredible. His turnaround and what he’s done this season to be an All-Star.” Jalen noted that ‘Nique has been big in showing him and his family support and he's ready to take on that role. "At the end of the day, I know the work that I need to continue to do to be that guy. Like I said before, I'm ready for that challenge. I'm a man that loves a challenge. I'm excited for the challenges that lie ahead and what comes with that. Having that from a guy like 'Nique, obviously you want to be a great player like he was. That's something you chase and idolize."
In 2023 at an Atlanta Dream game, I spotted Jalen sitting courtside. I walked up to him to say hello and asked him if I could take a picture of him. He obliged with a smile and we briefly chatted. The reason this encounter stood out to me was because I chuckled as I was leaving and told Jalen he was going to be my “go-to” for interviews. See, John Collins had just been traded to the Utah Jazz and I was wondering who else I could grab for media. To my surprise, Jalen smiled and said “I got you.” But this wasn’t a casual, throwaway “I got you” because every time after that occurrence, whenever I asked Jalen if I could speak to him for a moment, he spoke to me. When he was on the brink of coming back from injury, he spoke to me. When he was chilling at a Dream game, he spoke to me. Jalen made it a point to recognize the media. If we were on the road, he’d casually mention how we show up. At All-Star weekend Los Angeles, he walked off and said to me, “Good seeing you out here.” Little comments such as those endeared him as a person, not just a player. And that’s just a glimpse into how Jalen was with those around him.
To me, Jalen always gave the impression of a person who leaned more on the quiet side. Granted, I only knew him from a media standpoint but I’d watch as other, more outspoken people were around him and he would be there, smiling and laughing but not always joining in on the loudness. So this season when I saw him put his arms around the shoulders of his teammates Dyson Daniels and Onyeka Okongwu after their loss in Detroit and talk to them, I saw the leader in him. I saw someone who noticed a moment where encouragement was needed and took it upon himself to do something about it. When Zaccharie Risacher landed awkwardly after a fast break dunk in Phoenix and exited the game, Nickeil Alexander-Walker said it was Jalen who said, “let’s go get this win for Zacch.” The Hawks, who were down 22 points at some point in that game, ended up winning 124-122.
Jalen views himself more as a "reserved" type of person, "When I'm first meeting somebody, I'm a man of few words." But he describes his personality as opening up more once he gets to know someone. He finds his need to be vocal more present in certain situations versus others, as he oftentimes leads by example, "More specifically, with guys like Mo (Gueye) and Ace (Asa Newell). I notice their paths are very similar to mine..Sometimes you need a voice and understanding what you're going through."
Jalen's teammate, Onyeka, has been a witness to his growth in real time. The two are close and even have a dynamic akin to Kevin Chouinard and Brad Rowland (Hawks fans faithful know) or maybe Martin and Tommy from the TV show Martin. There are always jokes and quips between Jalen and Onyeka, but it comes from an obvious place of friendship and brotherhood. Onyeka has known Jalen since 2021 and he gets visibly happy to give his teammate props for how he's taken on this leadership role, "I love it. I've watched him since he's entered the league up until now. I'm happy for him, happy for his family. They're great people. And I'm ready for him to show out in his first playoff series being number one...Uno! I call him 'Uno'."
All eyes will be on Jalen Johnson in his first appearance in the playoffs as that guy. While everyone has expectations, I'm sure they pale in comparison to what Jalen expects of himself. The development of a player is more than just what happens on the court.
Jalen Johnson, courtside at the Atlanta Dream game in 2023.