BIO: Sam Johns was born in Adelaide (SA) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Southern basketball program.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Sam Johns made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 23 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

The 36ers needed more production at the point guard spot, leading to the exits of Gary Ervin (to Wollongong), Jason Cadee (to Sydney), and Rhys Carter (to Europe). They bolstered the backcourt with import guards Jamar Wilson (via Cairns) and Daequon Montreal (via Europe). The team also signed national team forward Brock Motum as a primary offensive focus.

Wilson (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) led the team in scoring, earning NBL Player of the Week honours twice, including after a 22-point performance against Melbourne (Jan 10) and a 25-point game against Townsville (Feb 1). Motum (17.5 points, 7.1 rebounds) led the team in rebounds, while Creek (11.2 points, 4.4 rebounds) continued to improve, emerging as the team’s third-leading scorer. Johns had limited court time, appearing in 6 games and averaging 0.2 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 0 assists.

The 36ers finished third (17-11) before being eliminated in the semifinals by eventual champions New Zealand in two games. Wilson’s standout play earned him the Mark Davis Trophy (club MVP) and All-NBL Second Team honours.

2015/16
Adelaide revamped its backcourt for the 2015/16 season, signing import guards Kenyon McNeail and Ebi Ere. After losing Brock Motum to Europe and parting ways with Luke Schenscher (who signed with Townsville), they also added forward Lucas Walker and young guard Nathan Sobey. Coach Joey Wright had previously scouted Sobey and offered him a contract after observing his potential during warm-ups when they played Cairns.

Johnson (15.5 points and 9.3 rebounds) continued to lead the team in scoring and rebounding, but McNeail left the team after sustaining a pre-season shoulder injury. Wright then signed Jerome Randle, who had been playing in Europe. Randle quickly became a fan favourite, bringing renewed energy and scoring ability to the team, and finished the season as the league’s leading scorer (23.0 points, 5.2 assists), becoming the first 36ers player to achieve this feat. Johns contributed 0 points, 1 rebound, and 0 assists in limited minutes as the team finished fifth with a 14-14 record, narrowly missing the playoffs.

2016/17
After finishing fifth with a 14-14 record and missing the playoffs, Adelaide moved on from Adam Gibson (to Brisbane), Anthony Petrie (to Brisbane), Ebi Ere (to Puerto Rico), Lucas Walker (to Perth) and Daniel Carlin (to Central District), while coach Joey Wright added Anthony Drmic (via Boise State), Majok Deng (via Louisiana-Monroe), Eric Jacobsen (via Arizona State), Terrance Ferguson (via Advanced Preparatory International) and Joel Spear (via West Adelaide).

Adelaide opened the season at WIN Entertainment Centre on October 7, where Johns did not play as Creek (24 points) and Deng (13 points and 6 rebounds) led the 36ers, while Rotnei Clarke (23 points and 6 assists) led Illawarra to a 122-88 win.

Johns (0.5 points across 6 games) remained a development player with Adelaide and appeared in five regular-season games and one playoff game. He did not miss games through injury, with his limited appearances coming as part of his role at the end of the 36ers’ rotation.

With Ferguson (4.6 points across 30 games) suspended for Adelaide’s October 29 game against New Zealand and Creek (12.1 points and 5.4 rebounds across 21 games) sidelined with a stress fracture in his right foot, Wright said, “We’ll take Sam Johns and Nelson Larkins in their place.” Johns (0 points) played a season-high 7:36 as Sobey (32 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals) and Randle (20 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals) led Adelaide, while Kirk Penney (27 points and 4 assists) led New Zealand to a 119-93 win.

Johns’ best game of the season came against Brisbane on November 19, where Johns (3 points) made his only field goal of the season, a three-pointer, during a 105-87 loss. Sobey (24 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Johnson (20 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists) led Adelaide, while Torrey Craig (34 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 steals) led Brisbane as the loss dropped the 36ers to 3-6 and last place.

Johns made his longest appearance during Adelaide’s surge up the ladder against Brisbane on January 19, finishing with 0 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist in 5:37 as the 36ers won 101-68. Randle (22 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals) and Creek (15 points and 5 rebounds) led Adelaide, while Daniel Kickert (20 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists) was Brisbane’s best.

Adelaide recovered from its 3-6 start to win 14 of its next 15 games before finishing first with a 17-11 record. Randle (21.3 points, 3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists across 31 games) was named NBL Most Valuable Player and selected to the All-NBL First Team, Sobey (15.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists across 31 games) was named Most Improved Player and selected to the All-NBL Second Team, while Johnson (15.1 points and 7.1 rebounds across 29 games) joined Randle on the All-NBL First Team. Drmic (6 points and 3.2 rebounds across 30 games) was named Rookie of the Year and Wright was named Coach of the Year.

Adelaide opened its semifinal series against Illawarra at Titanium Security Arena, where Johns (0 points) played the final nine seconds as Randle (26 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals), Sobey (16 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Johnson (16 points and 7 rebounds) led the 36ers, while Tim Coenraad (26 points and 4 rebounds) led Illawarra. Adelaide won 93-78 and took a 1-0 series lead.

Johns did not play in game two at WIN Entertainment Centre, where Randle (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists), Johnson (17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) and Jacobsen (12 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks) led Adelaide, while Coenraad (17 points and 10 rebounds) and Mitchell Norton (17 points) helped Illawarra win 100-94 and level the series.

Johns did not play in the deciding game at Titanium Security Arena, where Randle (26 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Sobey (22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) led Adelaide’s late comeback, while Clarke (20 points) and Marvelle Harris (17 points) steadied the Hawks as Illawarra won 106-98 and eliminated Adelaide 2-1.

2017/18
After finishing first with a 17-11 record the previous season before being eliminated by Illawarra in the semifinals, coach Joey Wright retained the core of Mitch Creek, Nathan Sobey, Daniel Johnson, Matthew Hodgson, Brendan Teys, Majok Deng, Anthony Drmic and Adam Doyle. Reigning NBL MVP Jerome Randle (to Bahçeşehir), Terrance Ferguson (to Oklahoma City) and Eric Jacobsen (to Fukuoka) departed, with Shannon Shorter signed to replace Randle and Ramone Moore (via Melbourne) and Ronald Roberts added as Adelaide’s other imports. The 36ers went undefeated at the Merlion Cup in Singapore and defeated the Shanghai Sharks in the final, but Roberts was released shortly before the NBL season after the club cited a knee injury, although Roberts responded publicly that he was “100 percent fine.” Alan Wiggins Jr was signed as his replacement but broke his arm in his NBL debut and required surgery, leading Adelaide to sign former Sydney Kings star Josh Childress (via Denver).

Johns (0 points and 1 steal) made his first appearance of the season against Melbourne at Hisense Arena on December 22, playing 1:24 in what was also his best game of the season as Adelaide lost 99-91. Johnson (20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks) and Sobey (19 points) led the 36ers, while Casper Ware (24 points and 5 assists) led Melbourne.

Johns (0 points across 2 games) remained outside Wright’s regular rotation and received only brief reserve opportunities. No injury or suspension was identified as the reason for his limited appearances, with his two games instead coming during Adelaide’s injury-hit December rotation.

His second and final appearance of the season came two days later in the NBL’s Christmas Eve game against Cairns at Titanium Security Arena, where Johns (0 points and 1 rebound) played a season-high 8:11 as Adelaide lost 94-75. Childress (20 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) and Hodgson (12 points and 4 rebounds) led Adelaide, while Cameron Gliddon (27 points, 2 steals, and 1 block) led Cairns. The defeat left Adelaide at 8-8, but the 36ers responded by winning 10 of their final 12 regular-season games to finish second with an 18-10 record.

Johnson (15.8 points and 6.8 rebounds across 35 games) led Adelaide in scoring, with Creek (14.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals across 31 games), Shorter (13.3 points, 5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.3 steals across 34 games), Sobey (12.1 points and 3.7 rebounds across 35 games), Childress (12.1 points and 6.2 rebounds across 27 games) and Moore (11.3 points across 32 games) forming the main rotation. Creek missed time during Johns’ two December appearances after tearing a small muscle from the bone around his hamstring, while Drmic (6.7 points across 27 games) was sidelined with a left knee MCL sprain. Johnson was selected to the All-NBL First Team, Creek earned All-NBL Second Team honours and the Fans MVP award, while Moore was named the NBL’s Best Sixth Man.

Johns did not appear during Adelaide’s postseason run. The 36ers opened the semifinals against defending champion Perth at Titanium Security Arena with a 109-74 victory behind Childress (22 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) and Creek (20 points and 11 rebounds), while Bryce Cotton (22 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals) led Perth.

Game two moved to Perth Arena, where Adelaide recovered from an 18-point deficit to win 89-88 behind Childress (25 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 block) and Creek (22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal), while Cotton (31 points and 3 assists) led Perth as the 36ers swept the series 2-0 and advanced to their first Grand Final since 2014.

Melbourne hosted game one of the Grand Final at Hisense Arena, where Johnson (18 points and 5 rebounds) and Shorter (16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block) led Adelaide, but Chris Goulding (26 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal) and Ware (20 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) carried United to a 107-96 victory. Wright was later fined $5000 for comments made about the officiating following the loss.

Adelaide levelled the series at Titanium Security Arena with a 110-95 game two victory behind Deng (18 points and 6 rebounds) and Moore (17 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists), while Casey Prather (20 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists) and Goulding (19 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) led Melbourne. The victory came at a significant cost when Childress (13 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block) suffered a shoulder injury which ruled him out for the remainder of the series.

Game three returned to Hisense Arena, where Johnson (20 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) and Moore (18 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals) led Adelaide, but Ware (25 points and 3 assists) and Prather (23 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) helped Melbourne win 101-98. Sobey (9 points, 4 assists, and 1 block) was ejected following a halftime clash with Prather that sparked an all-in melee, while Deng (16 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals) missed a potential game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds as United took a 2-1 series lead.

Facing elimination in game four, Adelaide raced to a 55-31 halftime lead before Melbourne mounted a second-half comeback. Johnson (21 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 steal) and Sobey (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) helped the 36ers hold on for a 90-81 victory, while Prather (23 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Goulding (15 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Melbourne as Adelaide levelled the series at 2-2.

The deciding game five returned to Hisense Arena, where Shorter (20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) and Johnson (17 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block) led Adelaide, while Goulding (23 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal), Ware (23 points and 2 assists) and Prather (19 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block) led Melbourne. Goulding was named Grand Final MVP as United defeated Adelaide 100-82 to win the series 3-2.

Sam Johns played four seasons the Adelaide 36ers..