WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — Josiah Johnson grew up a Los Angeles Clippers fan.
His dad Marques played for the Clippers. But when LeBron James came to the Lakers, everything changed for Johnson.
“I told Lakers fans as long as LeBron is a part of the Lakers, we gonna be here,” Johnson said.
Johnson is no ordinary fan. Many NBA diehards would recognize him as @kingjosiah54, one of the most popular accounts in the world of NBA Twitter — with over 136,000 followers and 257,000,000 impressions.
"A lot of people been jumping on following the movement, giving me a lot of love and really enjoying and appreciating the content I’m putting out," he said.
Johnson is not much different than anyone else while sitting back and enjoying a Lakers game. But he always has phone in hand and ready to tweet a video or meme in the heat of the action. He's a one-man band sitting at home, using the secret sauce of social media — something traditional outlets can only try to duplicate.
“When I’m watching, and something happens, I usually see it in meme form,” he said. “Then in my... I just kind of craft whatever I want the caption to be, utilize that piece of content.”
It’s all original and has become a part of the fan experience for many. Johnson's tweets are considered by many a must-see during every big game.
“When they see this clip from a movie or whatever, and it’s correlating to something going on in NBA Twitter, they laugh about it because they remember that’s how it makes them feel too looking at it,” he said.
Apart from social media, Johnson is a writer and producer currently working with Ava DuVernay. Years ago, he was on the court as a UCLA Bruin. But today, his presence is larger than it’s ever been without even having to touch a ball.
"I kind of pinch myself when I’m talking to dudes," he said. "I’m talking about upper level guys, guys who would be in the GOAT discussion. Like, 'Yeah man, I see your stuff all the time, and I love it and I crack up.'"
As the Lakers fight for another championship, Johnson will be watching. Chances are you might be watching him on Twitter.