Johnson hopes to suit up in PBA

MANILA, Philippines - Indonesia’s naturalized player Jamarr Johnson said the other day he’s itching to showcase his skills in the SEABA Championships here so it could lead to a job in the PBA where in the third conference, the former Widener University forward could fit as a 6-5 import.

The problem is Johnson hasn’t been cleared to play for Indonesia in SEABA. Former SEABA deputy secretary-general Col. Lee Kak Kuan of Malaysia said the Indonesian federation has to submit a certification from USA Basketball affirming Johnson’s eligibility as a first-time national player. The certification has to be cleared with FIBA before Johnson is allowed to play. Col. Lee said there is no issue with Johnson’s Indonesian passport and as soon as the required documents reach SEABA, Johnson will be good to go.

Another Indonesian player Arki Wisnu is also awaiting clearance from USA Basketball and FIBA. Wisnu was born in New York and played four years at Baruch University, an NCAA Division III school. Wisnu, 29, was allowed to play for Indonesia at the SEABA Cup in Chiang Mai in 2012 and the Southeast Asian Games in Singapore in 2015 as a local. Under the principle of previous eligibility, Wisnu should be allowed to play in SEABA outright but for some reason, his status is now under question.

Indonesian head coach Wahyu Widayat Jati said he can’t understand why Wisnu is being restrained from playing after suiting up for the national team twice before. Jati said Wisnu would’ve also played at the 2013 SEA Games but backed out with an injury. Indonesia won its first four games in SEABA without Johnson, Wisnu and Adhi Putra who is recovering from an injury so Jati has coped with a nine-man rotation.

Johnson, 28, said he hopes to be cleared in time for Indonesia’s game against the Philippines tomorrow. “I’m told the documents will come any day now,” he said. “If I can play the game before the Philippines against Myanmar (today), that would be perfect so I get a chance to break in with the team.”

Johnson said he went to Indonesia in 2012 with the Athletes In Action team then decided to stay. “I was involved with the Christian ministry,” he said. “I love Indonesia and the Indonesian people. When the opportunity came to take out Indonesian citizenship, I went for it. Last year, I played for the CLS Knights of Surabaya and we won the Indonesian league title. I was Rookie of the Year, regular season MVP and finals MVP. This year, the league allowed each team to enlist two imports. After 12 games, I was cut with the other import (DeChriston McKinney) and we were replaced (by Duke Crews and Ashton Smith). I couldn’t believe it. I’m the first African-American to play in the Indonesian league and the records will show what I did in my first season. But management wanted a change. The Knights wound up losing in the semifinals to Satria Muda and Pelita Jaya won the championship.”

As an Indonesian league rookie last year, Johnson was unstoppable, averaging 15.3 points in the regular season and 17.2 points in the playoffs. No imports played and Johnson was allowed to see action as a naturalized player. This year, Johnson averaged 11.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists before he was released.

When he was cut, Johnson returned to New Jersey where his family lives. He later got a call to report for duty with the Indonesian national team and flew back to Jakarta. “I’m happy with the national team,” he said. “Mario (Wuysang) and Sandy (Kurniawan) were my teammates with the Knights so it’s like a reunion. I’m at peace with myself. I pray to God for guidance. I don’t know if politics had something to do with my release from the Knights but I’m ready to move forward. I’m aware of the level of competition in the PBA and if I’m given a chance, I’d like to show what I can do as an import.”

Johnson played at Widener University, a private NCAA Division III school in Chester, Pennsylvania. “I’m the second of nine children so it was a big deal when I graduated because I’m the first in my family to finish college,” said Johnson, a bachelor. “At Widener, we won back-to-back conference titles and once went to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament. I never expected to play basketball in Indonesia. After I graduated (with a Sports Management degree in 2010), I worked in retail, selling windows for about two years then I travelled with Athletes In Action and went to Jakarta.”