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Editor’s note: This article was originally published by USA TODAY Sports and has been republished in its entirety below.
Decked out in their black Jordan Brand sweatsuits with the powder blue trim, the Florida Gators boarded their charter bus before 11 a.m. Friday and headed for enemy turf.
It’s a 150-mile trip from Florida’s campus in Gainesville, Fla. to Tallahassee, home of the Gators’ archrival and recent bully, the Florida State Seminoles.
The Florida men’s basketball team had lost six games in a row to Florida State, but there was reason for the Gators to be hopeful as the team bus motored down the highway.
The Gators had momentum after a 3-0 start and something even more important — Keyontae Johnson, the SEC Preseason Player of the Year.
Chiseled at 6-5 and 229 pounds, Johnson was averaging 19.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals after victories over Army, Boston College and Stetson. He was shooting 63.9% from the field, including 50% from 3-point range, and 76.9% of his free throws.
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But much about Johnson, a 21-year-old junior, transcends statistics.
“God-fearing, smart, funny, goofy, full of energy,’’ said Jalen Hudson, who played with Johnson at Florida during the 2018-19 season. “Someone you would love to call your friend.’’
In the locker room, practice facility or training room, Johnson is known for his penchant of breaking out into a dance.
“It could be anywhere,’’ Hudson said. “We could be in the middle of a lift session and one of his songs comes on, he’s going to really break it down and dance. He’s not shy about it at all. It’s fun to see, especially a muscular guy like that, it’s funny.”
Amusing examples can be found on Johnson’s TikTok account, where his user name is keydababy11.
“He’s very funny, very lovable and he loves to make people laugh,” Hudson said. “That’s why I think this thing is hurting so many people.’’
About 24 hours after the team bus pulled into Tallahassee on Friday, and less than four minutes into their game against Florida State on Saturday, a terrifying scene unfolded at the Tucker Civic Center.
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Coming out of a timeout, Johnson collapsed on the court face first. Panicked teammates waved for medical personnel. Other players watched stunned and in tears.
Minutes earlier, during the timeout, Johnson had been celebrating an alley-oop dunk that put the Gators ahead 11-3. Watching the TV broadcast at home in Virginia, Johnson’s mother, Sharnika, was confused, according to Vanessa Locke, the mother of Florida player Noah Locke.