09-30-26 Atlanta Hawks Forward Jalen Johnson Training Camp Interview

energy competitiveness today what has stood out to you now that you're in day two

of camp i think just everybody's mindset everybody's mindset individually and collectively most importantly i think everybody's coming in with the mindset that it starts right now obviously it started everybody was kind of here in atlanta early so just us picking up where we left off with the same intensity I was just telling somebody over there, it's my sixth training camp and this is by far the most high intensity, most competitive one I've been in so far.

So it's exciting that all the guys are coming in with that mindset and just hope to keep building on it.

As a leader on this team, how much pride do you take in

that? It's huge.

I'm so proud.

It's a great feeling when you come into an environment.

everybody's competing to get better everybody's competing to push each other at the end of the day we're on the same team we're like in practice we're going at each other like you would think we're on different teams but at the end of the day like um we just all want what's best for each other and um we're showing that out there is there something to you the guys the hotel all there is is basketball here this week and the other distractions are out you know the road i mean i think we're a pretty focused group um it's like everybody's like either family men or just like everybody's just young so it's like we're all focused and what we need to what the job is and we've had team dinners and stuff that have helped us you know continue to bond so that's been good a couple of your teammates mentioned that cj had some plans for bonding here during training camp what's it like off the court obviously um obviously um like i said we've had some dinners so far and um it's still the second day training camp so we've got a couple more days and still do stuff but it's been good cj's been a great leader for us he's been putting stuff together all summer so it's been good is hot chicken on the menu he said it's hot chicken yeah i can't imagine that goes well with breakfast Yeah, I haven't had no hot chicken.

Yeah, but it's not like that.

It's like super spicy.

It's disgusting.

Leave it alone, brother.

Leave it alone.

Trust me.

Some people like it.

I think they're lying.

Zuby and Keaton told us this week that you made it a priority to take them to LA with you to train with LeBron.

Why was that so important to you? How have you already seen the difference on the court together?

I was just bringing them out, just showing them I'm there for them.

Just immediately, cuz I know it's tough as a rookie sometimes.

Sometimes it's like a deer lost in the headlights.

Sometimes you don't know who to go to until you get to the team.

So I just wanted to reach out my hand and just given that opportunity and continue to build that relationship with them so when we come into training camp in these type of environments it's not like i'm trying to get to know them like dinners out of la so just continue to build on that relationship with them you see their confidence going every practice everywhere themselves the more confidence they have at the end of the day we're going to need them and they're going to be ready when the time comes and I'm excited for them.

How much

of that did you mean when you were a rookie or did you get from your experience that maybe was a reason you kind of poured that into them?

energy competitiveness today what has stood out to you now that you're in day two

of camp i think just everybody's mindset everybody's mindset individually and collectively most importantly i think everybody's coming in with the mindset that it starts right now obviously it started everybody was kind of here in atlanta early so just us picking up where we left off with the same intensity I was just telling somebody over there, it's my sixth training camp and this is by far the most high intensity, most competitive one I've been in so far.

So it's exciting that all the guys are coming in with that mindset and just hope to keep building on it.

As a leader on this team, how much pride do you take in

that? It's huge.

I'm so proud.

It's a great feeling when you come into an environment.

everybody's competing to get better everybody's competing to push each other at the end of the day we're on the same team we're like in practice we're going at each other like you would think we're on different teams but at the end of the day like um we just all want what's best for each other and um we're showing that out there is there something to you the guys the hotel all there is is basketball here this week and the other distractions are out you know the road i mean i think we're a pretty focused group um it's like everybody's like either family men or just like everybody's just young so it's like we're all focused and what we need to what the job is and we've had team dinners and stuff that have helped us you know continue to bond so that's been good a couple of your teammates mentioned that cj had some plans for bonding here during training camp what's it like off the court obviously um obviously um like i said we've had some dinners so far and um it's still the second day training camp so we've got a couple more days and still do stuff but it's been good cj's been a great leader for us he's been putting stuff together all summer so it's been good is hot chicken on the menu he said it's hot chicken yeah i can't imagine that goes well with breakfast Yeah, I haven't had no hot chicken.

Yeah, but it's not like that.

It's like super spicy.

It's disgusting.

Leave it alone, brother.

Leave it alone.

Trust me.

Some people like it.

I think they're lying.

Zuby and Keaton told us this week that you made it a priority to take them to LA with you to train with LeBron.

Why was that so important to you? How have you already seen the difference on the court together?

I was just bringing them out, just showing them I'm there for them.

Just immediately, cuz I know it's tough as a rookie sometimes.

Sometimes it's like a deer lost in the headlights.

Sometimes you don't know who to go to until you get to the team.

So I just wanted to reach out my hand and just given that opportunity and continue to build that relationship with them so when we come into training camp in these type of environments it's not like i'm trying to get to know them like dinners out of la so just continue to build on that relationship with them you see their confidence going every practice everywhere themselves the more confidence they have at the end of the day we're going to need them and they're going to be ready when the time comes and I'm excited for them.

How much

of that did you mean when you were a rookie or did you get from your experience that maybe was a reason you kind of poured that into them?