BIO: Kendrick Johnson is from Trenton, New Jersey (USA), and played college basketball at Point Loma Nazarene University in California before beginning a professional career overseas. Sources differ over his exact college seasons, so the years require confirmation. Johnson later played for clubs in Greece, Cyprus and Turkey before his time in the NBL.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Kendrick Johnson made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings during the 1999 season. He scored 31 points in his first game.

Sydney entered the 1999/00 season looking to return to the playoffs after finishing ninth with a 9-17 record the previous year. The Kings replaced Bill Tomlinson with Brett Brown, their fourth head coach in six seasons, while Kelsey Weems, Alonzo Goldston, Brad Rosen and Craig McAndrew departed. Matthew Nielsen, Aaron Trahair, Scott McGregor, Darren Smith, Ben Castle and Acie Earl returned, with Brown adding Ben Melmeth (via Newcastle), Derek Moore (via South Carolina-Aiken University) and reigning NBL Most Valuable Player Steve Woodberry (via Brisbane). With the club moving into the Sydney SuperDome ahead of the 2000 Olympic Games, expectations were high that the combination of established imports and emerging Australian talent could end Sydney’s playoff drought.

The Kings began their campaign with consecutive victories over Canberra and Cairns, but the promising start quickly unravelled as the club’s import roster underwent significant changes. Earl (8 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 blocks across 1 game) was released after the opening game, with concerns surrounding his conditioning and inability to reproduce the form that had made him one of the league’s most dominant imports the previous season. Sydney replaced him with Kevin Brooks (16.8 points and 6.2 rebounds across 27 games), who had helped Adelaide win consecutive NBL championships before the league refused to approve his new contract with the 36ers due to salary-cap concerns. Adelaide had also signed Paul Maley, leaving Brooks without a team until the Kings secured the experienced forward to strengthen their frontcourt.

Woodberry’s arrival was another disappointment for Sydney, with the reigning MVP suffering a leg injury and managing just four appearances before being released. The Kings responded by signing Drew Barry (7.6 points, 4 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across 8 games), the son of NBA legend Rick Barry, who arrived with previous NBA experience. Although Barry provided additional passing and ball-handling, his scoring production fell well short of expectations. His final appearance came against West Sydney on December 11, with Brown again looking overseas to find the perimeter scoring and playmaking needed to complement the team’s Australian core.

Sydney subsequently signed American guard Kendrick Johnson (21.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists across 12 games), who arrived after previously playing college basketball at Point Loma. Johnson immediately became the Kings’ most aggressive perimeter scoring option, providing the offensive production that had been missing from the club’s earlier import combinations. Across his 12 appearances, he averaged 39.3 minutes, connected on 47.8 per cent of his field goals and made 36 three-pointers at 40 per cent, giving Sydney a reliable outside threat alongside Trahair and its established frontcourt.

Johnson made a spectacular NBL debut against cross-town rivals West Sydney at the Whitlam Centre on December 30, producing 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists as the Kings recorded a dominant 123-87 victory. He connected on 13-of-29 field goals, including four three-pointers, and immediately established himself as Sydney’s main offensive weapon. Brooks (26 points and 9 rebounds) delivered another strong performance, while Trahair (18 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist) also made four three-pointers. Cheikh Ya Ya Dia (25 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 blocks) was outstanding for the Razorbacks, but Johnson’s scoring and playmaking helped Sydney produce its largest winning margin of the season.

The Kings were unable to build on that result, losing to Canberra at the AIS Arena on January 8 despite another strong contribution from their new import. Johnson (19 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists) provided scoring and playmaking alongside Trahair (32 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists), who delivered his highest-scoring game of the season while shooting 11-of-14 from the field. Nielsen (18 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) also contributed, but Troy Pilon (18 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals) and Clayton Ritter (18 points and 8 rebounds) helped Canberra secure a narrow 108-105 victory. The loss began a four-game losing streak that further damaged Sydney’s chances of returning to the playoffs.

Sydney’s defensive problems were particularly evident against Victoria at the Sydney SuperDome on January 22, where Johnson (6 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist) endured his lowest-scoring appearance of the season, converting just three of nine field goals. Brooks (20 points and 3 rebounds) led the Kings offensively, while Nielsen (14 points and 10 rebounds) recorded a double-double. Brett Wheeler (20 points and 8 rebounds) and Jason Smith (19 points and 7 rebounds) were among Victoria’s leading performers as the Titans overwhelmed Sydney 106-75. The 31-point defeat equalled the Kings’ heaviest loss of the season and highlighted the difficulties Brown continued to face despite the additional scoring Johnson had brought to the team.

Johnson responded with another outstanding performance against West Sydney at the Sydney SuperDome on January 29, finishing with 34 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists as the Kings defeated their local rivals 114-100. He converted 9-of-15 field goals, including five of six three-pointers, and made 11-of-12 free throws in one of his most efficient scoring displays of the season. Trahair (25 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists) also made five three-pointers, while Nielsen (18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) provided further support. Simon Dwight (28 points and 10 rebounds) led the Razorbacks, but the combination of Johnson’s shooting and Trahair’s playmaking proved too difficult for West Sydney to contain.

His finest individual performance came against Brisbane at the Sydney SuperDome on February 5, where Johnson exploded for a season-high 37 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals as the Kings defeated the Bullets 110-93. Playing more than 45 minutes, he made 13-of-20 field goals, including an outstanding eight three-pointers from 11 attempts, producing the highest-scoring game of his NBL career. Nielsen (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) provided the main scoring support, while Trahair (12 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) helped distribute the ball. Johnson’s perimeter shooting overwhelmed Brisbane and gave Sydney one of its most convincing victories of the second half of the season, demonstrating the offensive firepower he had brought to the club following Barry’s departure.

Despite Johnson’s immediate impact, the Kings struggled to translate his scoring into consistent victories, winning just three of the 12 games he played. He scored in double figures in 11 appearances and reached 30 points on three occasions, but the constant changes to Sydney’s imports and ongoing defensive difficulties prevented the team from establishing any sustained momentum. Nielsen (16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds across 28 games) continued developing into one of the league’s most promising young Australian forwards and was named the Kings’ team MVP, while Trahair (15.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists across 28 games) remained a dependable presence in the backcourt. McGregor (10.3 points and 5 rebounds across 27 games) provided additional scoring and versatility, while Melmeth (11.5 points and 8.7 rebounds across 13 games) had delivered strong rebounding production during the opening months before his appearances became limited. Moore (9.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks across 28 games) emerged as an important defensive contributor and was named NBL Rookie of the Year, one of the few individual league honours to come from Sydney’s disappointing campaign.

Sydney’s hopes of returning to the postseason disappeared during the closing weeks, with the Kings losing consecutive games to Melbourne, Canberra and Wollongong before their final regular-season appearance. Although Johnson had become the team’s leading scorer following his arrival, the club’s inability to establish a settled import combination or consistently defend against the competition’s leading teams prevented Sydney from building on its promising Australian core. The Kings entered their final game having lost three straight and needing a victory to avoid finishing the season on another disappointing run.

Sydney concluded its season against Victoria at the Sydney SuperDome on March 11, where Johnson (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) finished his NBL career with another double-figure scoring performance. Moore (20 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks) produced one of his strongest games of the season, while Trahair (12 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists) provided additional support. Frank Drmic (18 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists) led Victoria, with the Titans defeating Sydney 87-80 to hand the Kings their fourth consecutive loss. The defeat completed an 11-17 regular season, leaving Sydney ninth on the ladder and outside the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year.

Kendrick Johnson played one season in the NBL. He averaged 21.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 12 NBL games.