Timberwolves rookie Wes Johnson's newfound confidence will get a test Tuesday night at Target Center against the Lakers' Kobe Bryant. But it won't be their first go-round.
Johnson met Bryant during last spring's playoffs, when the former Syracuse star was in Los Angeles for a predraft workout. The two players share an agent, Rob Pelinka, who helped put Johnson in touch with Bryant. The two swapped phone numbers, and when Johnson decided to train last summer in L.A., the two worked out a couple of times before Bryant had offseason surgery.
It started one day when Bryant phoned Johnson with instructions to meet him. Johnson got there at 8 a.m. and Bryant already had finished lifting weights. The two went out on the court, where Bryant gave Johnson some pointers on the triangle offense.
"Ever since then, I've looked to him for advice," Johnson said.
That advice might not help Johnson slow down one of the league's best players Tuesday night, but ... "I'll do my best to make all his shots tough, make every catch tough for him," he said. "Really, I'll just try to slow him down."
Even during the season, Johnson said, Bryant has watched some Wolves games. He has called and given Johnson advice, things to work on. For a young man who grew up idolizing Bryant's game, this is pretty big stuff.
"It's a great blessing," Johnson said. "I can't put into words what it says about him, just looking out for me, giving me words of advice, his opinion on things I need to work on. I appreciate it."
The Lakers coming to town coincides with Johnson playing as well as he has all season. Johnson struggled badly heading into the All-Star break. But a weekend in L.A. for the Rookie Challenge (and the rest of the All-Star festivities) was the perfect tonic. Not only did Johnson play well in the Rookie Challenge, he also got a first-hand view of how the game's best players handled themselves.