MIAMI _ Antonio Brown was there for James Johnson when the Miami Heat forward was going through some of his darkest days of the season, so Johnson said he remains there for Brown amid the former NFL wide receiver's latest troubles.
Having worked out with several Heat players over the years, including Johnson, Udonis Haslem and Hassan Whiteside, among others, Brown had Johnson over to his Hollywood home to watch football during the December period when Johnson was away from the Heat due to "personal reasons" amid a stretch of 18 games without action.
"We've grown close, just over the years, me and him living close," Johnson said ahead of the Heat's Friday night game against the Los Angeles Clippers at AmericanAirlines Arena. "It's just been an ongoing respect, and then we finally got to link up and do what we do."
Johnson has since worked his way back into Erik Spoelstra's rotation. Brown, by contrast, has been out of the NFL after time this past season with the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots, following a previous tumultuous parting with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Brown on Thursday night turned himself in at Broward County Jail. That was in the wake of the Hollywood Police Department issuing an arrest warrant after allegations that he and his trainer attacked a moving-company truck driver near Brown's home, with Brown facing charges of burglary with battery, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and criminal mischief.
"You're always worried about one of your friends, when they're down, or when things are looking bad for 'em," Johnson said amid this latest round of Brown's troubles. "But good guys always prevail and good is going to come to good."
Johnson said Brown, who was born in Miami and starred at Norland High, remains a friend and resource.
"I respect what he's done, and he's a great guy, despite what the media outlets and things like that say," he said. "I know him personally and he's a great guy."
Police were called to Brown's house on Estate Oak Circle several times in the past month to deal with incidents between him and his live-in girlfriend of eight years and the mother of three of his children.
Johnson said there has never been an issue in his interactions with Brown.
"He does workouts and things like that, inviting us," he said. "He's constantly wanting to get better. It's positive to be around guys like that."
