Keyontae Johnson decides not to declare for the 2021 NBA Draft

According to Matthew Winick of The Score on Wednesday, University of Florida Gators forward Keyontae Johnson of Norfolk, Virginia has decided not to declare for the 2021 NBA Draft in Brooklyn, New York on July 29. The draft may not get as much publicity this year as it has received in the past because it will be taking place during the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The reason why Johnson is not declaring for the draft is because he collapsed on the court on December 12, 2020 in an 83-71 Gators loss to the Florida State Seminoles. Johnson would not play for the rest of the 2020-21 National Collegiate Athletic Association season because he was diagnosed with heart inflammation and is still waiting to get medical clearance to continue his NBA career.

At the time that Johnson had his heart ailment, he was considered a possible first round pick. He was averaging 16 points per game, and 4.5 rebounds per game. Ward also had a field goal percentage of .641, a three-point percentage of .429, and a free throw percentage of .786. Johnson’s best game came in a 90-70 win over Boston College on December 3, where he scored a season-high 24 points.

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Not having Johnson this year was a big blow to the Gators basketball program. The team only had a record of 15 wins and 10 losses. They did qualify for the NCAA Basketball Tournament and beat Virginia Tech 75-70 in overtime, but then were shockingly beaten 81-78 in the second round by Oral Roberts.

According to Amanda Heidt of The Scientist, there are current studies being done regarding the link between heart disease and coronavirus. The disease has hit the basketball community in the United States in high numbers. 

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