Markell Johnson

Professional basketball player

What is Markell Johnson known for?

Markell Davon Johnson, born on August 25, 1998, in Cleveland, Ohio, is an American professional basketball player. Johnson's successful basketball journey initiated at East Technical High School, where he played with great distinction. As a freshman, he scored a phenomenal 27 points and nailed a game-winning jump shot, taking his team to its first state semi-final since 1972. In his junior season, his performance peaked with an average of 31.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game, leading East Tech to its third straight league title and a district semi-final appearance. His talent earned him numerous accolades, including the Cleveland.com Boys Basketball Player of the Year and Northeast Lakes Division II All-District Player of the Year by the Associated Press (AP).

After high school, Johnson committed to play college basketball for the NC State Wolfpack. During his sophomore year, he led the Atlantic Coast Conference with 7.3 assists per game and averaged 8.9 points. His college career was filled with memorable moments such as setting a career-high with 27 points and five three-pointers in a victory against Auburn and achieving a rare triple-double of 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win over The Citadel during his senior year.

Markell Johnson began his professional career in 2020. Although he went undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft, he didn't let it deter his basketball journey. Johnson took his talents overseas where he played for Beşiktaş during the 2020-2021 season, Pieno žvaigždės Pasvalys during the 2021-2022 season, and as of 2022, he plays for BC Astana in the Kazakhstan Basketball Championship and VTB United League. His professional career has been on a steady rise, and his performance earned him a spot on the Second-Team All-ACC in 2020.

Find out more about Johnson's career on his Basketball Reference page, and learn more about his current team, BC Astana, on their official website.