Iowa Energy point guard Curtis Stinson applauded what Ivan Johnson has done for Erie this season.
After the Iowa Energy battered the Erie BayHawks, 124-101, Friday night at Tullio Arena, two D-League All-Stars meet at half court – Curtis Stinson and Ivan Johnson.
Stinson, the floor general for the league’s top team in the Energy (35-12), whispered words of encouragement in the ear of Erie’s inside force, Johnson, who didn’t play in Thursday’s game against Fort Wayne for disciplinary reasons in large part to him picking up 23 technical fouls this season.
Stinson said he told Johnson to “let his game do the talking.” Johnson had 33 points in Friday’s loss for Erie (29-18).
“He’s an emotional guy. He’s a great player. You see it. Night in and night out, he’s killing it. He’s doing his thing. You have to respect him. I just told him to keep holding his head up. Let his game do the talking. That’s something I learned, too. I’m an emotional player, but it’s something I learned. Let the game do the talking. I got a lot of respect for him. He knows that. He’s an All-Star. Scoring 30 every night. That’s not easy.”
Johnson appreciated Stinson’s comments.
“It’s something that every player wants,” Johnson said. “I appreciate him looking at me like that. I look at him the same way. It’s like, you know you got game when somebody else is saying it.”
