Darius Johnson

Darius Johnson-Odom was born on September 28, 1989, in Raleigh, North Carolina. His basketball journey began with collegiate play, first at Hutchinson Community College, followed by a significant tenure at Marquette University from 2009 to 2012. During his senior year at Marquette, Johnson-Odom distinguished himself, earning the prestigious First-Team All-Big East selection in 2012. He was a constant presence on the court, known for his consistent performance as a point guard and shooting guard. His college career culminated in the 2012 NBA draft, where he was selected as the 55th overall pick in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks. He was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Johnson-Odom’s professional career included stints with notable teams both domestically and internationally. In the NBA, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers, alongside appearances in the NBA D-League for the Los Angeles D-Fenders and Springfield Armor, where he consistently demonstrated his scoring ability, leading the D-Fenders in points per game. His international career saw him play for teams such as Spartak St. Petersburg in Russia, Sichuan Blue Whales in China, and multiple Italian teams including Pallacanestro Cantù, Dinamo Sassari, Vanoli Cremona, and Pallacanestro Reggiana. He also played for Trabzonspor in Turkey, Olympiacos in Greece, Orléans Loiret Basket and Le Mans Sarthe in France, and Rapid București in Romania. His most recent affiliation is with Al-Difaa Al-Jawi of the Iraqi Basketball Premier League, which he joined in 2024.

A significant achievement in Johnson-Odom’s career was his participation in The Basketball Tournament (TBT) with the Golden Eagles, a team composed primarily of former Marquette players. After competing in TBT 2016 and TBT 2017, he returned in TBT 2020 where his team won the tournament and the $1 million prize. Johnson-Odom was named the tournament’s MVP for his performance, averaging 16.8 points, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.