Louisville Basketball: David Johnson has the chance to become a local legend

Louisville basketball lost David Johnson once, but Chris Mack was able to bring him back home again. The hometown kid with elite level talent has a chance to become legendary with the Cards.

We love our local kids in Louisville, that’s no secret. In recent years guys like Quentin Snider, Ray Spalding, and Dwayne Sutton have all been fan favorites. They played their hearts out for the Ville and have helped bring the Louisville basketball program plenty of success.

It’s just different when they’re local; seeing our team play well and compete at the highest level no matter where the players on the court are from is awesome. But when a kid from the city is playing for the city? There’s nothing like it.

The city of Louisville has a passion for high school sports that is almost unprecedented, and the teams do not disappoint. Local talent is too easily overlooked. Chris Mack could have went in a completely different direction – especially since Johnson decommitted. Lucky for Louisville, he didn’t.

David Johnson is a 6’5 170 pound combo guard out of Trinity High School, rated as a 4 star top 100 player in the country. But you already knew that. He was a finalist for Mr. Basketball (which he should have won) and led his team to the state title earlier this month.

He overcame an injury earlier in the year and returned to the court with a vengeance. Even if his numbers every game weren’t eye-popping, his will to win definitely was. This guy does whatever it takes to come out with a win, and he’s the ultimate team player. A common comparison between local talent we’ve had in this program is “he’s a dog” – Johnson fits that description.

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Johnson’s skill set speaks for itself, the winning mentality and humility that comes with it are big bonuses. Next years squad for the Cardinals is stacked with talent that we all can’t wait to see what Mack does with. After this season ended more quickly than anyone would have liked, we’re  dying to see them in action.

Probably the biggest reason Johnson will get big minutes right away is because the Cards need help at the guard spot. This coming season is the first that Chris Mack will have guys that fit his system and play style – David Johnson is the big tough guard who can flat out get buckets that Mack salivates over.

That being said, he’s got the chance to become a local legend not simply because of staying home to play for the Cardinals, but because of how important he stands to be for this team. Think of how grateful we are for Q Snider and everything he did for the program over his 4 years here. David may not stay 4 years…

If Johnson doesn’t stay that long, that means Louisville is most likely having some serious success. Because if this dude is playing well enough to get drafted after 1 or 2 seasons… Sheesh *eyeball emoji*.

The last local kid to lead the Cardinals  to a championship was Darrell Griffith. Ever heard of him? Oh no big deal: his number just hangs in the rafters of the Yum! Center, Donovan Mitchell won the NBA dunk contest in his jersey, and he’s a household name for anyone in the city of Louisville who isn’t living under a rock.

David Johnson has the ability – even if he isn’t the best player on this new squad – to become a household name. It’s no doubt he will be a key piece to a team that looks very much the part of a championship roster. His relentless winning attitude and ability to push his team to a win cannot be understated.

Imagine being in the Yum! Center watching David Johnson knock down a game winner against Duke, or even better against Kentucky. He’s already led his high school team to the pinnacle of success, and now he’s coming to Louisville on the biggest stage to play for his city – and lead them back to the top. His story as a Cardinal has yet to be written, but all signs are pointing to David Johnson becoming the next local legend for Louisville Basketball.