Jalen Johnson was born on December 18, 2001, in Wausau, Wisconsin. He is a professional basketball player from the United States playing for the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA as of November 2024. With a height of 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 meters) and weighing 219 pounds (99 kilograms), Johnson operates primarily as a small forward and power forward.
During his high school career, he played for Sun Prairie High School before transferring to Nicolet High School in Wisconsin for his junior year. Jalen Johnson earned recognition as a consensus five-star recruit and was regarded among the top small forwards of the 2020 class. He decided to play college basketball at Duke University, where he represented the Blue Devils during the 2020-2021 season. In the 2021 NBA Draft, he was chosen with the 20th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks. From 2021 to 2022, he competed in the NBA G League with the College Park Skyhawks before his debut with the Hawks in the NBA.
Jalen Johnson’s Injury History
Since making his NBA debut, Jalen Johnson has experienced several injuries that have affected his playing time.
As per Spotrac, these are all the injuries Johnson has faced as of November 20, 2024,
| Date of Injury | Injury Name | Description |
| April 10, 2024 - April 14, 2024 | Ankle | Jalen injured his ankle, sidelining him for 3 games during the 2023-24 season. |
| March 21, 2024 - March 31, 2024 | Ankle | He sustained another ankle injury, missing 6 games in the same season. |
| March 8, 2024 - March 14, 2024 | Ankle | A recurring ankle issue kept him out of action for 3 games. |
| November 26, 2023 - December 25, 2023 | Wrist | Jalen suffered a wrist injury, which led to a 14-game absence in the 2023-24 season. |
| March 17, 2023 - March 30, 2023 | Hamstring | A hamstring strain caused him to miss 7 games during the 2022-23 season. |
| November 30, 2022 - December 1, 2022 | Ankle | He dealt with a brief ankle injury that kept him out for 1 game. |
| March 30, 2022 - April 4, 2022 | Concussion | Jalen missed 3 games due to a concussion late in the 2021-22 season. |
| January 12, 2022 - January 17, 2022 | Ankle | An ankle injury sidelined him for 3 games in the 2021-22 season. |
| December 27, 2021 - January 4, 2022 | Health Protocols | He missed 4 games following league health and safety protocols. |
Major injuries Jalen Johnson sustained in the NBA
Jalen Johnson has encountered several injuries during his NBA career, including issues like hamstring and wrist injuries. These setbacks have sidelined him for multiple games, impacting his availability on the court.
Wrist (November 2023 - December 2023)
In November 2023, Jalen Johnson suffered a left distal radius fracture during a game against the Washington Wizards as per Yahoo Sports The injury occurred when Johnson tried to dunk over Kyle Kuzma and landed awkwardly on his left wrist. An MRI confirmed the fracture, and Johnson was ruled out.
Jalen Johnson was averaging 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 60% from the field. However, due to the injury, he was sidelined from the court and missed 14 games from November 26, 2023, to December 25, 2023. According to Basketball Reference, he made his return on December 26, 2023, against the Chicago Bulls.
FAQs on Jalen Johnson
A. Jalen Johnson made his NBA debut in October 2021, during the 2021-22 season.
A. Jalen Johnson was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks as the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
A. Jalen Johnson played college basketball at Duke University before declaring for the NBA Draft.
A. Jalen Johnson primarily plays as a forward.
A. Jalen Johnson attended Sun Prairie High School for the first two years and then Nicolet High School.
