Spurs Veteran Keldon Johnson's free basketball camp much more than a 'Family Affair'
The Johnson family plays a huge role in Keldon and Kaleb Johnson's annual free basketball camp in San Antonio
On Thursday, San Antonio Spurs veteran guard Keldon Johnson and big brother Kaleb Johnson- a G-league member of the Austin Spurs- held the first day of their two-day basketball camp in San Antonio. This event is completely free to kids in San Antonio.
Yesterday marked the third year of the brothers hosting the free basketball camp in the San Antonio area. They also host free basketball camps near their hometown, Brodnax, at Brunswick High School in Lawrenceville, Virginia each year.
Putting together these kind of events isn’t an easy task. There’s a lot of planning, volunteer work, money, time, and resources that go into any event that gives back to the community. My goal was to find out who the backbone was behind the event planning.
Upon my arrival at Cornerstone High School in San Antonio, the first person who greeted me was a woman named Linda. Linda sat at a white table right in front of the gym, and her role was to check-in kids, sign documents if needed, pass out merchandise, and guide people in the right direction. Sitting next to her was a woman with beautiful greenish-grey eyes who was simultaneously helping Linda at the front desk and fixing a little girl’s hair.
I asked Linda who the best point of contact would be to talk about the camp.
Linda directed me to Keldon and Kaleb’s 55 year-old father, Chris Johnson.
Chris was located in building two of where the camp is held- this building is where all of the Elementary school-aged kids were actively running drills, playing basketball, and having fun.
I couldn’t help but notice Mr. Johnson’s aura reminding me so much of Keldon’s demeanor. Nice, welcoming, and friendly.
With parents of well-known athletes, I never know what to expect. Some parents of athletes are extremely quiet and guarded about their children, and rightfully so. With strangers like myself, you never know what someone’s motives are, or if they have bad intentions.
Mr. Johnson, however, was an open book. When I asked about who started the vision for Keldon and Kaleb’s basketball camp, he couldn’t help but to have a large smile beaming with pride about his family and his children.
“The person who thought about doing all of this was my wife, Rochelle Johnson. We come from a small town in [Brodnax] Virginia. When Keldon and Kaleb were little, Bryant Stith, who used to play in the NBA grew up in our area. He had a free basketball camp for the kids and Keldon and Kaleb went to the camp. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, and now that we are in the same position, we love giving back and paying it forward.”
Rochelle got the idea for Keldon and Kaleb’s camps once her kids started playing professional basketball. Mr. Johnson said they have reached out to Stith many times for advice on how to host camps.
Stith, a 10-year NBA veteran who played for the Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, said the best advice he has given the family to host camps is to “Follow your heart, trust your emotions, and pour into the kids.”
Stith described what it feels like to have someone like Keldon, who once attended his camps at a young age, grow up to become an NBA player:
“When I see Keldon Johnson, a former camper of my basketball camp, make it to the NBA, it warms my heart. His success justifies the investment my family, friends, and community partners made to inspire youngsters to pursue their dreams through the game of basketball. I am thankful to have played a small role along his amazing journey to the NBA. To see him carrying the torch to inspire the next generation of leaders in Southside Virginia [and San Antonio] speaks of his character and his heart about caring for others."
Keldon and Kaleb’s annual camp is primarily family-ran with several volunteers and sponsors who assist them with hosting. For the Johnson’s, family is everything. Many members of the Johnson family fly in from all over the country just to come help out with the camp.
“Keldon is really family oriented,” Mr. Johnson explained. “Life is all about family. Family is why you wake up in the morning. We are a good, hard-working, blue-collared family. And we have a great support system. If one of us does something, we all do it, and we are all-in. That is why we are here today.”
He points to a referee near the basketball hoop in the middle of a gym. “Right there is Keldon’s older brother, Kyle… we will do anything at the camp that needs to be done. Coaching, refereeing, blowing up basketballs, helping to feed the kids. We do everything.”
Mr. Johnson began to discuss in detail who some of Keldon’s family members that were present at the basketball camp were.
Rochelle (Mrs. Johnson) has been married to Chris for 29 years. Mr. Johnson was particularly proud at the fact that they’ve been in their kids lives as a unit since day one. Their outlook on marriage and family was heavily inspired by Rochelle’s parents, who have been married for 60 years.
Keldon’s older brother, Kyle Johnson (29), lives in Washington state and has been in the Air Force for 7 years.
Kaleb Johnson (28), Keldon’s older brother, is a guard for the NBA G-league team Austin Spurs.
Keldon (24) is the Johnson’s third born son and has been a guard for the San Antonio Spurs since he was selected with the 29th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft out of Kentucky.
Kristin Johnson (21) is their youngest child. Kristin graduates in May 2025 with her degree in Education.
What stood out to me the most was all of the Johnson kids were accomplished. Not many families can say all of their children have drive and motivation. Their drive was not limited to their careers, but extended towards their outlook on life and their willingness to host and participate in annual charity events for the community.
I couldn’t help but ask Mr. Johnson, “What do you believe is the key to parenting and setting your kids up for success?”
Mr. Johnson explained the key for them has been “lots of family time, and lots of praying. We always kept a super tight close-knit family and we had a lot of structure. The kids knew they needed to keep certain grades if they wanted to play sports.”
Mrs. Johnson was responsible for ensuring their kids stayed on top of their educational needs, and Mr. Johnson was responsible for making sure the kids were in sports.
With Mr. Johnson, his pride in his family wasn’t limited to just Keldon. He was extremely proud of all of his children.
The story of the family was interesting, and I almost forgot about my original task at hand, which was to find out information about the basketball camp.
I told Mr. Johnson that I was thankful for his time, and I was. He was more than willing to give valuable information about the camp and his family. I was ready to get back on track to find Mrs. Johnson to ask more details about the annual basketball camp.
I extended my right hand out for a handshake to Mr. Johnson to thank him for his time.
He told me to give him a hug instead.
I quickly made my way back out to the front desk of building one of the basketball camp, where the older-aged kids work out.
Linda was at the white table still, and I asked her if she could guide me to Mrs. Johnson so I could ask her a few questions.
Linda kindly insinuated to me that if I had any pressing questions, that Mrs. Johnson is very private and probably won’t give me any information in regards to the team (or any Keldon rumors of the sort).
The Spurs, who are well-known to be notoriously private, are very tight-lipped about giving details into what is currently going on in the off-season. That privacy also extends to the family members of players as well. Covering the team for a few years has made me fully aware of the fact that family members of Spurs players are just as private as the team.
I eased Ms. Linda by letting her know my questions were only going to be about the camp. I was thankful she gave me this information and guided me to Mrs. Johnson, because it helped calm my nerves to approach Mrs. Johnson in a demeanor that expressed my intentions up front. I wanted to talk about the camp only.
Once I told Mrs. Johnson my questions were about the camp only, she warmed up to me very quickly. She was just as friendly - if not, more friendly- than Mr. Johnson and was more than happy to give me information regarding the inspiration behind the basketball camp.
Mrs. Johnson said “People always tell me the Johnson’s roll deep. And we are very supportive of one another , if you see one of us, you see a crowd.”
She pointed to Ms. Linda, who had been helping me all afternoon, and told me that Linda was actually Keldon’s aunt.
She pointed right behind me, and Kristin, Keldon’s sister, was right behind me.
The girl who sat next to Linda with the beautiful eyes was very close with the Johnson family as well.
I quickly realized I could no longer keep up with how much of Keldon’s family participated in the basketball camp, and I was surrounded by his family everywhere.
Mrs. Johnson told me that Keldon has always stood out since he was born.
She pointed to the black and white pajama shirt I was wearing with Keldon’s face on it and asked me where I got it from. The shirt I wore was gifted to me years ago by a Spurs fan. (Side note: This particular shirt is one of my favorites because of the fabric and I sleep in it weekly. And yes, I love rolling out of bed and wearing my pajama shirts in public.) On this shirt is a photo of Keldon screaming, which is par for the course for Keldon on the basketball court, photos, television, and in practice.
“That picture right there, that is exactly how Keldon came when he was born. He was screaming.”
I asked if Keldon is actually always yelling loudly even at home. Mrs. Johnson confirmed that the way Keldon is on the court is exactly how he is at home.
“Kaleb and Keldon are total opposites. When Kaleb comes home it’s quiet and we wouldn’t be able to tell if he’s home. But as soon as Keldon comes through the door, we can hear him.”
I asked Mrs. Johnson if Bryant Stith’s basketball camp was his inspiration to become an NBA player. She told me no, and that Kaleb and Keldon’s passion for basketball started long before the camps.
She said Keldon always knew he wanted to become an NBA player since as long as she can remember, and that both boys have always been passionate about basketball. She said Keldon and Kaleb played basketball outside so much, that the neighbors even began to question why the kids played so much. Rochelle said they weren’t forced to play basketball, they just always wanted to do it, and Mr. Johnson was with them every step of the way to guide them through their basketball journey.
When Bryant Stith would come into town, the boys went to the camp and they all remember going to the camp . What she loved about Stith’s camps was that they had an opportunity to go to a free camp that an NBA player held. Those moments were high points in their childhood, and being able to play with an NBA player made them want to come back.
Acccording to Stith, when he was a young child, Leonard “Len” Bias - a college basketball hall of famer who’s life was sadly cut short two days after being drafted by the Boston Celtics- spoke at a basketball camp he attended at Old Dominion University. That moment fueled his passion for the game of basketball, and he wanted to pay it forward.
The advice he would tell his kids like Keldon and Kaleb who attended his free basketball camp was a positive one:
"My advice to any camper is to help them understand that we all have unique gifts from God. it is our responsibility to identify what our gifts are and cultivate that gift into talents that we can use as a vehicle to carry us anywhere that we want to go in life. Everyone’s path to glory is different. So embrace your journey and set your GPS for future success. The road will not be easy, but if you persevere, it will be worth all of the sacrifice you make to achieve your dream.”
Advice like this was important to kids like Kaleb and Keldon who came from humble beginnings.
Keldon told me he has had people who have doubted him and didn’t believe in him.
Lately, there’s been a lot of conversation about Keldon and his future surrounding the San Antonio Spurs. Because of the many rumored possible trade options surrounding the Spurs, and NBA insiders putting out reports regarding Keldon’s future with the Spurs, Keldon has had his fair share of rumors, criticism, and doubters.
Despite all of these critics, the Johnson family only acknowledge one particular doubter and critic who stood out to their family the most. When I spoke to them all individually, they all talked about this person unprovoked. This doubter must have struck a chord with Keldon, considering they all brought it up separately.
“Miss Paris. Keldon’s 4th or 5th grade teacher, I think that was her name.” Mrs. Johnson turned to her son Keldon. “What was her name, was it Miss Paris?”
“Miss Parrott.” Keldon said, correcting his mom. “She was my kindergarten teacher.”
“That’s right. Miss Parrott. She told Keldon he couldn’t be an NBA player.”
“Keldon had a teacher when he was in elementary,” Mr. Johnson told me earlier in the day in the second gym. “I think they were having a career day or something like that, and his teacher (Miss Parrott) asked Keldon what he wanted to be when he grew up. Keldon told her he wanted to be an NBA player, and she said the chances of Keldon becoming an NBA player are one in a million.”
Mrs. Johnson continued, “So Miss Parrott asked Keldon, ‘Okay that’s your first option? Whats your second option?’ Keldon told her, ‘my second option is to be an NBA player.’ And she said, ‘okay what’s your third option?’ And he said ‘an NBA player.’”
Doubters like Miss Parrott stick out to kids for years to come. Mrs. Johnson vividly remembers Keldon coming home and telling his mom and dad what Miss Parrott said.
“How do you still remember what Miss Parrott said so long ago?” I asked Keldon.
“It stood out to me, and it’s (being an NBA player) always been my dream since I could remember.”
When Keldon was at Bryant Stith’s basketball camps in Virginia on thing stood out to him the most:
“He (Stith) would take the time out of his day to answer any questions, that camp was very special to me and very special to our area. And I try to give back in the same way.”
Shortly after he said that, Keldon temporarily halted our conversation. A young mom with two boys was on her way out of the camp, and he shouted “Are y’all leaving?”. The mom said “Yes”, and one of the boys timidly held out his Spurs hat. “Do you want me to sign your hat for you?” The boy nodded yes, and Keldon took a few minutes to sign the boys hat. Keldon was being attentive to every kid who approached him, just like Stith did when he was younger.
Keldon gives speeches to the kids at basketball camp and tries to instill the same mindset he has and hopes to give them a different outlook on success. Mr. Johnson explained earlier in the day that Keldon’s motto is ‘Dreams do come true.’ Keldon confirmed this is his motto and elaborated:
“The reason why my motto is ‘Dreams do come true’ is because I had a dream, a lot of people told me that I couldn’t accomplish the dream and make it to the NBA. I didn’t let anybody deter me from that dream."
Despite past and present critics of Keldon, he is surrounding by many people in his corner.
Stith has zero doubt in his mind that Keldon is where he always belonged, and is proud of him paying it forward with his annual camps. He elaborated on Keldon further:
Keldon is a great basketball player! More importantly, Keldon and his family are even better people. With his success, he could be spending his time anywhere in the world, but he chooses to return home and spend his time with the children of our communities. He will later learn that those points he scores with the children at his camp will last longer than any 48-minute game he will play in the NBA.
Mr. Johnson said that having positive events like their annual basketball camp is a great thing for the kids. “This whole thing is about the kids. We make this all about the kids. The message of our camp is no matter what financial situation you come from, no matter what barriers you may have, you can do anything.”
Terence Tarrer, Keldon’s manager (and according to Mr. Johnson, a distant cousin of the Johnson family) said the attendance has increased every single year for Keldon’s basketball camps in San Antonio. Last year, there were about 200 kids in attendance. This year, its up to 250.
Tarrer says he’s grateful for all of the sponsors in the community who come together to put this event together. As each year passes, the sponsors, the family, and the kids are all growing together.
Keldon also hosts other charity events as well such as an annual turkey drive, which Tarrer confirmed they had given away 300 turkeys, and an annual Christmas toy drive.
Moments like these are special to Keldon, and he hears many touching stories from the San Antonio community. One particular family brought him to tears during Christmas after sharing their personal story with him.
“No matter what happens in the future, we will always come back to San Antonio every single year if the community is willing to support our basketball camp,” Mr. Johnson explained:
“San Antonio is everything to us, they (Spurs) are the ones who gave Keldon a chance, and the Spurs organization and city made his dream come true".”
The origination of Keldon and Kaleb Johnson’s free basketball camp didn’t happen when Keldon was drafted, within a couple of years, or even when Miss Parrott doubted Keldon’s ability to make it to the NBA in kindergarten.
The seeds of the basketball camp were planted decades ago, when Mrs. Johnson’s parents’ 60-year marriage instilled the cornerstone values of family, togetherness, and supporting one another every step of the way.
They were planted when Len Bias spoke to Bryant Stith at Old Dominion University and inspired Stith to start his own camp to show the community they could accomplish their dreams. And when you really think about it on a deeper level, one single act by Len Bias at a basketball camp inspired NBA players for generations to come, including Keldon Johnson. That’s a pretty cool story.
The Johnson family is living proof that despite negativity, doubters, financial hardships and rumors mean nothing as long as you believe in yourself, stay positive, and keep good people around you.
Their dream has come true.