It was October 2022 when London Johnson, then a senior at Norcross High School in Georgia, announced he was not only forgoing his NCAA eligibility, but leaving high school immediately to join G League Ignite, which was an alternative pathway for elite young prospects to prepare for the NBA without going overseas or attending college. He spent the next two years playing with Ignite before being selected in the 2024 G League Draft by the Maine Celtics. He played only three games with Boston’s G League affiliate before being waived. He joined the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs G League affiliate, later in the season.
On Monday, almost three years to the day later, Johnson committed to Louisville, where he is expected to arrive at the semester break and then have two years of eligibility.
How is this possible?
Only because of the precedent the NCAA has set in recent years, which continues to blur the line between amateurism and professionalism.
NCAA changing how it looks at amateurism
In September, Johnson’s former Ignite teammate, Thierry Darlan, announced his commitment to Santa Clara and enrolled as a junior. Like Johnson, the 21-year-old had previously foregone his college eligibility when he went from the NBA Academy, a developmental program that perpetuated amateurism, to Ignite in 2023.
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Cody Nagel
Darlan’s signing paved the way for Johnson’s, just as Johnson’s likely will for potentially multiple others who have…
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