Stanley Johnson did not pan out as an NBA star, but he found success overseas.
The former Arizona Wildcats star, who was a first-round pick by the Detroit Pistons in 2015 and had a stop with the Los Angeles Lakers, reached the top of Japan’s B.League this week, as he helped the Nagasaki Velca win the championship.
The B.LEAGUE shared a clip showing an emotional Johnson in tears after Nagasaki defeated the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the best-of-three championship series.
ブザーが鳴り、ベンチで泣き崩れたスタンリー・ジョンソン。
— B.LEAGUE（Bリーグ） (@B_LEAGUE) May 26, 2026
シーズンを通してインパクトを残した男が、歓喜の涙を流す。@n_velca#Bリーグ #りそなグループ #Bリーグファイナル https://t.co/Qeq3JtL7cR pic.twitter.com/UEtdj7on7R
Johnson and the Velcas stumbled right out of the gate of the B.League Finals, as they lost Game 1, 71-69. But Nagasaki responded by winning the next two games to claim the title. In Game 3, Johnson came off the bench and scored 9 points on 3/11 shooting with 4 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 assists in 32 minutes of Nagasaki’s 72-64 win.
Just based on his reaction, the championship Johnson won with Nagasaki will stick with him for a long time. His basketball journey in Japan appears to have a profound effect on him, and it’s something he can definitely be proud of.
It will be interesting to see whether Johnson’s success in Japan will lead to another NBA call.
At only 29 years old, he can still take another shot at making it back to the league.
Johnson played his first four-plus seasons in the NBA with the Pistons, who later traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans. He also spent time with the two seasons with the Toronto Raptors before signing with the Lakers in 2021. Johnson last saw action in the NBA in the 2022-23 campaign with the San Antonio Spurs.
