Joe Johnson would love NBA return, says it's not his 'ultimate goal'
Seven-time NBA All-Star Joe Johnson is enjoying a solid season in the BIG3, his first with the barnstorming three-on-three tour that Ice Cube co-founds.
Starring for the Triplets alongside former NBA standouts like Al Jefferson, Johnson is averaging 22.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and a league-leading 4.5 assists per game in the first-to-50-points format.
Despite recently turning 38 years old and not appearing in the Association last season, ISO Joe's resurgence has led to an obvious question: Is an NBA comeback out of the question?
"I’d love to get back and play in the NBA. It’s not my ultimate goal, it wasn’t my goal getting into the BIG3. But if the opportunity presents itself, I would take upon the challenge. I would love to," Johnson told Sports Illustrated's Rohan Nadkarni.
"But, I got a job to do, and my agent has a job to do," he added. "I’m not sure about the momentum or how it’s going, but I just focus on what I can do and what I can control."
Over his most recent two NBA seasons - one-and-a-half campaigns with the Utah Jazz and a brief run with the Houston Rockets - Johnson averaged 8.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in just under 23 minutes per night. The sharpshooting wing connected on 36.2 percent of his 3-pointers during that span.