'I love his music,' said the Spurs' Sixth Man of the Year candidate, who hopes to meet Rucker after missing a chance last year.
SAN ANTONIO - If you ever hear a loud sound in the tunnels under the Frost Bank Center, there's a good chance it emanated from A leading candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, Keldon's pregame playlist has become the stuff of legends.
He's been known to pump his teammates up with pop hits like "Call Me Maybe" and "A Thousand Miles" and "Party in the USA," but lately with the Spurs riding a nine-game winning streak, the Virginia native has consistently gone to his country roots. Before the Spurs run out on the court as a team, as the players gather in the tunnel, the first sound out of Keldon's boombox is the fiddle that starts Darius Rucker's rendition of "Wagon Wheel." It may not be the prototypical pump-up track, but to quote Chazz Michael Michaels, it gets the people going. "I love the song," Johnson said with a big smile. "It's just good vibes. We get to walk by our fans right there and get to get a little interaction before the game, have some fun, sing along. If it's working, if it ain't broke don't fix it, you know? I just keep the vibes high, continue to do what we do, and ultimately, just enjoying the process. I enjoy every game out there, singing 'Wagon Wheel' and getting that interaction. Long as you having fun, you just have to keep striving."Johnson grew up South Hill, Virginia, a rural town about 15 minutes from the North Carolina border and an hour and a half from Raliegh if you hitch a ride with a trucker headed that way. When he drives to the rim and leads with his shoulder he's known to rock defenders like the wind and the rain, like a southbound train. As it turns out, Keldon has indeed loved the song for a while. Video from May of 2019 shows him belting it out on his way to a pre-draft workout.June 21, 2019 "I think he came to one of our games," Johnson said. "I think he's pretty good friends with Chris Paul... so hopefully I get to meet him in the future I would love to, that would be a great opportunity to be able to meet somebody like that, I love his music.""Chris told me, I want to say I probably forgot to come out or something like that, but Chris, Chris was telling me because he heard me listening to his music, he was like, 'Have you ever met Darius before? Oh, he's gonna be at our game,' and it probably totally slipped my mind. But, you know, praying hopefully I get another opportunity to meet him, that would be amazing."Keldon's coaches and teammates all call him the heartbeat of this Spurs team, and that lub-dub is always loud. During"That's dope. I love the city. I love our fans. We got the best friends in NBA," Johnson said. "I'm just blessed and fortunate to be be in a situation, to be blessed enough to be mentioned in a conversation like that for Sixth Man. God willing, I will be Sixth Man of the Year, but we gotta continue to take care of business. The team is first, and I continue to preach that each and every time." "As long as we're winning I'm happy, and the rest of the accolades and things like that will come with it," Johnson said. "We've gotta continue to attack each and every game as a team, and continue to do my part to put us in the best situation to win." The Spurs keep winning, and Johnson keeps doing his part. Some of that is slashing to the basket, slamming home dunks, and shooting from outside. A big chunk is the energy he brings before, during, and after games. He yells on his way to the basket. He barks like a dog on his way to the locker room after a win.Tom Petrini has covered Spurs basketball for the last decade, first for Project Spurs and then for KENS 5 in San Antonio. After leaving the newsroom he co-founded the Silver and Black Coffee Hour, a weekly podcast where he catches up on Spurs news with friends Aaron Blackerby and Zach Montana. Tom lives in Austin with his partner Jess and their dogs Dottie and Guppy. His other interests include motorsports and making a nice marinara sauce.Best NBA Prop Bets Today
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Chicago Board of Education approves Dr. Macquline King as next CPS CEOThe year-long, nationwide search for a new Chicago Public Schools Superintendent has come to an end.
Read more »
Chicago Board of Education approves Macquline King as permanent CPS CEOThe Chicago Board of Education voted on a new leader Monday morning.
Read more »
Israeli parliament approves the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering IsraelisIsrael’s Parliament has passed a law approving the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis.
Read more »
Cambodia approves crackdown on internet scammers — with severe punishment on the tableToday's Video Headlines: 3/30/2026
Read more »
Clippers' Savvy Management of Kawhi Leonard & Darius Garland Will Pay DividendsThe Los Angeles Clippers are playing the long game with their superstars.
Read more »
Israel's parliament approves the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering IsraelisThe Associated Press
Read more »