The Bucks' new rookies are named AJ Johnson And Tyler Smith. They were drafted 23rd and 33rd overall, respectively. And they had very different paths before ending up in Milwaukee.
Tyler Smith opted for the Overtime Elite then the G-League, with the Ignite Team, before arriving in the NBA. “Because I was in Overtime, I lost my eligibility for the NCAA. The Ignite Team prepared me for the NBA, playing against professionals. I couldn’t have made a better choice.”, he explains.
AJ Johnson, meanwhile, joined Kanye West's Donda Academy, the Californian school launched by the artist, in high school. It was closed in 2022, which forced the player to leave for the Southern California Academy. Then, he wanted to go to the NCAA, to the University of Texas, but had finally flown to the NBL, in Australia.
“It was a difficult decision to decommit from Texas and pursue another path,” he confides. “But, with my family and friends, we decided it was the best decision for me. It was really cool to play against professionals on a daily basis right out of high school.”
“They are young, athletic and talented.”
Besides having faced professionals, AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith (both 19 years old) have another thing in common: the two Bucks rookies simply wore the same jersey when they were still teenagers.
“It helps to know each other a little bit. We played together when we were 15-16, in AAU. We know each other so it should be easy to get along,” says Tyler Smith. ” I agree with that “, continues AJ Johnson. “Having someone you've known for a while, someone you've played with, it helps. Having him with me in this environment, it feels good.”
How does Doc Rivers see this duo? “They are young, athletic and talented,” summarizes the Bucks coach. “Our job is to teach them basketball, to strengthen them physically, to prepare them. Both are excellent shooters. They have talent and that's what attracted me to them.”
