Title: Wesley Johnson takes first step into coaching career with Raptors 905
Date: August 20, 2021
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I wrote about Wesley Johnson making the transition to coaching with Raptors 905 and why a young coach who can “expose you still” is so valuable.
LAS VEGAS — As they tend to be, Toronto Raptors fans were all over the teaser video posted on the team’s social media accounts as if the 41 seconds of pre-summer league highlights contained the secrets of the basketball universe. It did not. What it did contain, though, was a blurry image of a familiar face, watching in the background as Anas Mahmoud dunked on Freddie Gillespie.
Is that Wesley Johnson?
It was, spoiling a small Las Vegas secret. Another question followed: Is he there as a player or a coach? Johnson, still just 34 and only 17 months removed from his last pro game with Panathinaikos in Greece, still looks every bit the part of an NBA player. Dressed in team gear at a practice in the desert, you’d be forgiven for thinking he was one of the players battling for a roster spot in training camp.
Blake Murphy Sports Writing 