Picture this—You are into the NBA. You walk into your first NBA locker room, trying to take it all in, and right there in front of you are names like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. For most, that would be enough to freeze them in their tracks. But sometimes, being thrown into the deep end is exactly what it takes to find your footing. And then comes the messiah, a senior in the elder brother avatar. And we have seen in Kobe Bryant what an athlete can make of himself with the right idol. But suddenly talking about this? Another former NBA star has revealed how having the right set of people around him helped his NBA journey.

Standing 6’3″, Tyler Johnson knows he is no Kobe Bryant, but he had no hesitation in admitting that whatever initial growth he had in the league was significant because of the legends on the roster. It was during his appearance on Bring The Juice that Johnson was asked what it was like getting into the Heat locker room initially and getting to play with some of the best there were.

“Coming into the locker room and I see Chris Bosh, Dwyane, Wade, Mozilla, who’s Birdman… Norris Cole, Mario. Guys who had won championships, who were still fresh off championships… That’s the culture. Stepping into that was. It was overwhelming,” he recalled.

The former NBA star further mentioned he found himself lucky to be in a situation where he was with a group of people who cared about basketball. “I could have gone to. To one of these young teams that was up and coming, and I probably would have got swayed just like everybody else would…” he said honestly. “When one of those [experienced] guys takes you under their wing, it’s just a little bit easier. You get a little bit more of a head start.”

The fact that Johnson only gradually elevated his gameplay in the heat reflects the kind of guidance he was getting from the Heat vets. Even though he averaged just 5.9 points per game in his debut season with an average of 18.8 minutes, Johnson inched close to the double digits next season and finally hit the figure in his third season. However, after he departed from Miami, he witnessed a decline in the numbers. The number? He averaged just 7 points per game in the first season! Reason? He did not play a single game for the Heat.

Clearly, there was something in Miami that just worked for him. Even Chris Bosh saw it early. In 2015, Bosh told KSL.com, “Tyler is awesome. He can play. He’s had a great camp. He comes in and he works hard every day, works on his weaknesses, goes out there and lays it on the line and competes. He’s literally started from the bottom and worked his way up into playing a very huge role for this team.” However, he is not the only former Heat star who had great affection for Johnson.

Dwyane Wade called Tyler Johnson his “lil bro” in 32YO ex-NBA star’s end to Miami run

When the Miami Heat traded Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington to the Phoenix Suns, it wasn’t just a routine roster move. It marked the end of a chapter—two brothers, staples of Heat culture, suddenly gone mid-season. For Dwyane Wade, deep in his farewell tour, the move hit hard, reminding him how personal the business of basketball can be. In the echoes of that trade, Wade saw not just a shift in the roster but the slow unraveling of a brotherhood he cherished.

At the time, Johnson was 26, putting up solid numbers with 10.8 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game. He still had a year left on his deal, provided he chose to exercise his $19.3 million player option. But as destiny would have it, he was traded to the Suns.

Taking to X (then Twitter), Wade penned heartfelt messages for both his former teammates. But his words about Johnson stood out, calling him his “lil bro” and backing him to carry the Heat culture forward. “This business is tough but this kid is tougher… Good luck TY,” Wade wrote. It’s clear that legends like Bosh and Wade loved Johnson’s presence in the Heat. No wonder he received guidance from the best, as he claimed. And that’s what young guns need when they enter the biggest stage of basketball. Johnson was lucky, and like him, many are, because there are souls like Wade.