Last month, after Joe Johnson was bought out by the Brooklyn Nets, plenty of teams were interested in signing the 34-year-old shooting guard. In the end, Johnson had narrowed down his decision to two teams: The Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Johnson ended up signing with the Heat, and has thrived in his role there thus far, averaging 15.5 points, 3.2 assists, and 3 rebounds per game while shooting an unbelievable .565/.576/.875 through ten games.
Johnson sat down with Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post, and talked about his decision to sign with Miami. From Lieser:
How much did the Cavs pursue you?
Johnson: “They made an effort. I got a lot of what I would call family over there as far as Tyronn Lue and Larry Drew, guys that I played with. I know those guys fairly well.”Did LeBron talk to you?
Johnson: “Yeah, he reached out to me. That was basically it. He reached out.”Is it correct that it came down to Cleveland or Miami?
Johnson: “Fairly. I had a nice selection of teams I could’ve went to, obviously, but when it came down to it they were the top.”Did you choose Miami for short-term or long-term reasons?
Johnson: “Both. It’s late in my career, man. I’ll be 35 this year. I was looking more for some security, not necessarily a verbal commitment or anything like that, but somewhere I could really play and come out and enjoy the game.”So why Miami?
Johnson: “Having (Dwyane) Wade here and talking to (Udonis Haslem) and Amar’e (Stoudemire), and their style of play. Style of play was probably the biggest difference. They told me they wanted to get up and down the floor and run, and that enticed me. I thought it was the best fit.”So the change they made at the All-Star break sold you?
Johnson: “Yeah, their fast pace was pretty much a deal (sealer) for me. Everybody can push the basketball, make plays and keep the floor space. I think it helps.”How was Miami the better short-term option given that Cleveland is way ahead in the standings?
Johnson: “Style of play, man. Getting up and down the floor. And just knowing this team was a piece or two away from possibly being at the top. I just wanted to help in some form or fashion.”
Johnson’s game had tremendously declined for Brooklyn, and it’s great to see his resurgence with the Heat. Iso Joe’s still got it.
