Sports are a central component of our society today. It’s where a lot of us learn about leadership, selflessness, competition, and developing a skill set. As we grow older, the talent pool increases and only the strong/skilled remain, which is to say the majority don’t see the field, court, ice, etc. beyond high school (unless it’s a rec league). This leads me to a more grand point… what about the lucky few who go on to the next level; the ones who master their crafts athletically and are compensated for their 10,000+ hours? With that, I’d like to introduce our Wkender feature for April, Ricky Johnson Jr.
Born and raised in Akron, OH, he was a four-year starter at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, winning two state championships (’09,’11) under coach Dru Joyce. Johnson was also mentored by NBA All-Star Lebron James. He went on to play collegiately at Bethune-Cookman University where he earned a B.A. in Accounting. Ricky was a 1,000 career point scorer in both high school and college. In college, he received honors including Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week (twice), MEAC Player of the Week, and 2015-16 MEAC Preseason 3rd Team All-Conference. After college, Ricky was the personal manager for NBA player Jakarr Sampson and Director of Player Development for the Verus Management Team.
His acute knowledge of the game derived from years of play and excellent coaching/development positioned him well to analyze game film, plan NBA-style workouts specific to each client’s needs, and ultimately train players, all while
managing the day-to-day tasks to support the business. He’s trained and worked with over 25 NBA players including 8 first-round picks. Now, Johnson is using his knowledge and love for the game to train basketball players from youth to the NBA.
So you went to the world-renown St. Vincent-St. Mary (SVSM) High School in Akron, OH. What was that like?
It was a basketball powerhouse, and to be honest, it was more like a brotherhood than anything. The same coach that coached LeBron coached me. He taught us the game of life through basketball by instilling principles in us as players, and as a result, we became men. Oh, and we won a couple of state championships along the way. A key takeaway from Coach Dru, “Use basketball, don’t let it use you!
St. Vincent-St. Mary was a space with my passion for the game, dare I say, was at its peak. We hadn’t yet been fully introduced to the business of basketball. It was 100% fun.
I read a story about you reaching out to LeBron for advice before a critical game, and his response simply being “No excuses, get it done!”
Lol! Actually, it was a state championship game, and it forced me to think. People make excuses all the time, but the school that we went to was elite, and we were simply expected to win. On top of it all, we had all the tools to be successful; it was only left to us to execute.
Also, we didn’t want to let LeBron down lol!
What was the transition from high school to college sports like? Did the lessons from SVSM translate or was the game totally different?
The mentality translated well. I was a competitor. I wanted to get better; I wanted to win. In addition to the on the court component, I understood that I was a student first, but I must say the landscape at the next is different.
In college, sports become a business. In its simplest terms, coaches are paid to win games. If you are not producing, you are easily cut and sent home. The responsibility is yours to be at your best. Always be on your “A” game.
You play ball through college while pursuing a degree in accounting, but at the same time, you start to amass a following on social media. Now you have a pretty significant footprint, and I’m interested to know what’s next and how you plan to use your platform?
Honestly, I’m waiting on the world to open back up to get my real estate license and dive deep into entrepreneurship. While continuing to provide perspective on the issues that matter to me most
We had a young man on the court during our shoot that openly refused to move lol which presented an excellent opportunity for us to see your player development/skills training in action. Although this was a one-off situation, it presented an interesting thought. Can you talk a little about your normal approach to player development?
Personally, I have a lot of knowledge and experience with basketball. My effort is to give back to the kids that may not ever have the opportunity to get exposure to or advice from a LeBron. If I see a kid that wants to get better I typically ask them what they think they need to work on. As a note, as a player at any level, you should know your strengths and weaknesses. This gives me a baseline. Having worked with NBA players you generally have film that will help you to analyze and find the areas of opportunity. For our youth, it’s not as streamlined of a process.
I try to take into consideration what they have presented and then I put them through a series of drills as an initial evaluation. If the opportunity presents itself I will attend their games and evaluate how they are playing. Finally, I compile all of the data points and build a regiment to support that specific player’s game.
Who did you look to for inspiration as you were learning the game? Why?
I grew up watching Kobe. His mentality and dedication to the game and winning were unmatched. I remember an interview early in the finals, like game one or two. A reporter asked him if he was excited about a win and he said something to the effect of, “What am I happy for, the job isn’t done?” That situation really stuck with me. Also, I love how he carried himself on and off the court. Outside of that singular incident he really never got into any trouble. He stuck with Vanessa and challenged himself to grow.
At The Wkender our moniker is Work 9-5, Life 5-9. Do you have a personal mantra?
Honestly, I live by the golden rule: Love others as you would love yourself. It keeps me mindful of how I treat people in every situation.
Ricky, thank you for allowing us to tell your story. We truly had a blast during this photoshoot and the impromptu workout was super dope. When outside opens back up I know you’re gonna be the hottest realtor in these bay area streets, and I simply cannot wait to see you flourish. I honestly believe that giving of yourself selflessly comes back to you 10 fold; you sir have done that with the youth. So again, thank you for all that you do and I’ll save me a seat at the top!
To a Life, Worth Living,
The Wkender