Dakari Johnson

Position: Forward/Center
Height:  6-10 / 208 cms
Weight: 250 lbs / 113 kgs
School: Montverde Academy ‘14
Hometown:  Brooklyn, New York

USA Basketball Notes

• Gold Medal: 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship.
  
• Member of the 2012 USA U17 World Championship Team that compiled an 8-0 record en route to earning the FIBA U17 World Championship gold medal in Kaunas, Lithuania; averaged 5.0 ppg. and 4.3 rpg. prior to suffering a groin strain early in the USA's fourth game and was sidelined the remainder of the tournament.
• Helped the U.S. U17 squad claim a pair of exhibition victories over Australia and Latvia in Las Palmas, Canary Islands; averaged 11.5 ppg. and 8.5 rpg.
• Participated in the 2011 USA Developmental National Team training camp, held Oct. 15-16 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
  
• Participated in the 2011 USA Developmental National Team training camp, held June 10-12 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
  
• Named to the 2011-12 USA Developmental National Team on March 24, 2011.
• Participated in the 2010 USA Basketball Developmental National Team mini-camp, held Oct. 9-10 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

High School Honors

• MaxPreps.com Freshman All-America second team (2011).
  
• Underclassman all-state first team (2011).
  
• ESPN Rise National Freshman of the Year (2011).

High School Notes

• Transferred to Montverde Academy (Fla.) prior to the 2011-12 season and attended classes while sitting out due to transfer rules. Montverde finished the season with a 23-4 mark, advanced to the National High School Invitational championship game and earned a No. 10 final national ranking by USA Today.
• Attended St. Patrick High School (N.J.), where he helped his team in 2010-11 to a 26-1 record and a final No. 2 national ranking by USA Today; started six of 26 games played and averaged 7.0 ppg., 9.0 rpg. and 3.0 bpg.
  
• Posted 12 points and nine rebounds in a 2010-11 high school game against two-time USA Basketball gold medalist André Drummond.
  
• Competed on the varsity team in eighth grade while attending Sayre Middle School (Ky.).
  
• Has played eight years for the New York Gauchos and finished second in the nation in the 2010 Showcase 15U Gold Division.

Personal Notes

• Born on Sept 22, 1995 in his hometown of Brooklyn, N.Y.
  
• Son of Makini Campbell and Thomas Johnson, has one younger brother, Kamani Johnson.
  
• Both his mother and grandfather, Jitu Weusi, played for Long Island University; father played for St. Francis College (N.Y.); and uncle, Kojo Campbell, played for Stony Brook University.
  
• Earned 2011 Second Honor for academics at St. Patrick.

The Inside Scoop

• Started playing basketball when he was seven.
  
• Favorite players on the 2012 USA Basketball Men’s National Team: LeBron James.
  
• Plans on majoring in communication in college.
  
• Top 5 movies of all time:  The Waterboy, Coach Carter, Madagascar, O, He Got Game.
  
• Favorite sports magazine: ESPN Rise.
  
• Favorite Gatorade flavor/color: Red.
  
• If he could drive anything, it would be: a Lamborghini.
  
• Favorite Twitter account you follow:  @KingJames.
  
• Batman or Superman: Superman.
  
• Indoor or beach volleyball: indoor.
  
• Sprints or long-distance running: long-distance.
  
• Scrabble or Words with Friends: Scrabble.
  
• Favorite app: Temple Run.
  
• Favorite sport other than basketball: football.
  
• Favorite NBA team: New York Knicks.
  
• Favorite class: biology.
  
• Favorite basketball player: LeBron James.
  
• Favorite basketball player of all time: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
  
• Favorite Olympian: Michael Phelps.
  
• Most-played song or artist on your iPod: “Lean Wit It,” by Meek Mill.
  
• Best player ever faced: André Drummond.
  
• Most impressive person ever met: LeBron James.
  
• Would compare his game to: Andrew Bynum.
  
• This right-hander wears No. 22 because it’s his birthday.
  
• Away from basketball, enjoys: hanging out with friends.
  
• Most people don’t know: he is a good ping pong player.
  
• Has held a job as a: baby sitter.
  
• Knows how to speak: some Spanish.
  
• When he was five, wanted to be: a veterinarian.
  
• First basketball memory: when he was seven, being schooled on the court by his cousin Michael.
  
• If he weren’t playing basketball, he would be doing this after high school: going to college and cheering on his school teams.
  
• First overseas trip: Mazatlan, Mexico, where he had fun spending time with family and friends.