High hopes among the high-rises

Nino Johnson, the newest tower rising in downtown London’s skyline, is healthy, hungry, and ready for his first season with the London Lightning.

(Photo courtesy Brampton Honey Badgers).

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It was a slow build. Nino Johnson doesn’t remember the exact moment when the injury happened – just the fact that, over time, he started to question what was going on. Things didn’t feel right. At all.

He knew his shot was off. The righty found himself counting on his left hand more and more – not a deal-breaker, as he’s largely ambidextrous when it comes to shooting. Even still, the right wrist wasn’t getting better. Shooting hurt. Using it as a guide hand hurt. He was even tentative about dunking.

None of this, however, stopped him from playing all out.

That probably didn’t help.

“I kept trying to push through it, trying to keep doing what I thought I could normally do. But it just kept getting worse. It took me a month of playing after I first noticed it to admit it was getting excruciating. I needed help,” he said.

Doctors determined he had injured a ligament in his right wrist – a wildly painful injury that was a constant presence while he tried to play, or move, or do anything in life. After the 2022 season with the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League, he began a year-plus of intense rehab focused on getting back to the game.

“Most people don’t really recover from this. It just depends on people’s body. I eat healthy for the most part, and try and keep myself healthy, so my rehab, while long, has come along great,” Johnson stressed.

As the pain fades into memory, Johnson assured that the life lessons he learned from the experience will stick with him for the rest of his career.

“When it comes to your body, you got to get ahead of those things. No matter what it is, even if it’s mild at first, go get it looked at,” he said. “I’m still learning as I grow in this game. I’m just glad to be back. The doctor said the wrist would never be the same – and it’s not the same. But I’m in shape, healthy, and shooting again.”

The injury and rehab have cost him professional opportunities to play for some good franchises in top leagues, but they popped up a little too early in his healing process. He wasn’t going to play until fully healthy.

In the last year, he used recent contracts in China and, most recently, with Halcones Rojos de Veracruz (Mexico) to build up strength and test his game. Now, as he prepares for the London Lightning season opener, Nov. 23, Johnson is excited to be back on the path toward bigger things.

“I am comfortable, making shots and knocking them down, dunking again, grabbing and gripping rebounds. It’s strong. I’m strong. I thank God for that. I’m a strong believer.”

That’s good news for a Lightning squad counting on the Memphis native’s game and experience heading into a season where they hope to defend their BSL title.

(Photo courtesy Brampton Honey Badgers).

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He was a football player almost exclusively. Outside of some pickup hoops in his limited down time, basketball wasn’t on his mind. That all changed when his sister, Ashley Shields, was drafted into the WNBA.

Shields, a standout at Southwest Tennessee, made history as the first WNBA player drafted out of a community college when the Houston Comets selected her with the eighth pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft. She debuted later that year, averaging 5.3 points per game in 26 contests. In 2008, she signed with the Detroit Shock, where she appeared in seven regular-season games (averaging 3.1 points) and three playoff games during the Shock’s title run.

In support of his sister, Johnson and family attended that draft held in Cleveland. As part of the festivities, first-round hopefuls and their families were invited to attend a Cavaliers game. That’s where the football player was struck.

“Everybody was talking about LeBron. This guy used to play football. He’s playing basketball now. And that’s all I was hearing,” Johnson said. “I’m at the game just feeling the emotions of my sister getting picked, picking up the energy of the crowd, watching LeBron, and I'm like, ‘Yeah. I'm about to play basketball.’”

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He might be the biggest addition to the Downtown London skyline since One London Place.

The 6-foot-9 standout likens his game mentality to Kevin Garnett or Draymond Green – fierce, unapologetic, and intensely competitive. He wants to be known for relentless energy and tenacity, bringing a warrior-like mentality that resonates beyond the stat lines.

“I’m going to be super physical. Coming from a football background and an athletic family, you can expect that. That translates to my game, being able to handle the ball, push the ball. I have learned to stretch my game. I was always a good mid-range, face-up guy, but now I’ve stretched out to the three.”

His natural position is as a stretch forward. But coaches have longed dreamed on him as a traditional big man at the five. Size. Aggression. Agility. His new head coach is no exception.

“He’s a big, big guy, but he is very versatile,” Lightning head coach Jerry Williams said. “He can step out and hit a shot or a three, but he also plays well around the rim. He knows what he is doing down there. In our league, that really matters. When you can get those tough offensive rebounds that lead to putbacks, especially in those one- or -two-point games, that’s how you win. You need a guy like Nino doing that.”

Describing himself as a “Jack of all trades,” Johnson sets equally high expectations for his game.

“My main thing, for sure, is being the anchor on defense, being the quarterback, holding the paint down. I’m also a reactor. If you turn your back on me, I’m confident to shoot. If you’re close to me, I’m trying to get past you and dunk on you. I am a great screen setter to get my guards open. I can roll. I can catch some ally-oops.”

Coming out of high school, Johnson was ranked as the nation’s No. 17 prep power forward by ESPN, who also rated him a four-star recruit on their five-star scale. A physical standout, he received football and basketball scholarship offers from Auburn, Cincinnati, Charlotte, DePaul, Georgia Tech, and Mississippi, before landing with Southeast Missouri State.

A three-year starter at the powerhouse White Station High School, he initially played for Melrose High with Lightning teammate Chris Jones before transferring prior to his junior year. His impact was immediate, helping White Station achieve a 30-7 record in 2010-11, marking the Spartans’ 16th consecutive season with 20 or more wins. As a junior, Johnson averaged 12 points and seven rebounds, leading the team to a 28-9 season and a Tennessee Class AAA runner-up finish.

A well-rounded student-athlete, he also maintained a 3.5 GPA and played football.

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In a way, he wasn’t ready for the realities of international play. Oh, his game was fine, but it was the all the other stuff that weighed on him.

Playing professional hoops internationally offers foreign players unique opportunities, but it also comes with significant risks. Language barriers and cultural differences can make everyday life and team communication difficult, while limited legal protections may leave players vulnerable to delayed or incomplete payments. Adding to the risk, some players fall prey to unscrupulous agents who promise lucrative contracts or career progression abroad but disappear when issues arise, leaving players without recourse. Medical care and support standards vary widely, and differences in playing styles and team expectations can create further stress, impacting both performance and overall wellbeing.

“I was skeptical of so many agents because I started out overseas and saw people stealing money or teams going through financial crises,” said Johnson, who “saw it all” playing in Finland, Poland, and Iceland. “I stepped away and tried to lock back in on the NBA. And everything worked out.”

In 2018, he signed with the Memphis Hustle (the NBA G League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies). The team was rolling in the 2019-20 season when COVID shut the season – and the world – down.

“That was my time. We were the No. 1 team about to win the championship. Then it all stopped. I took the year off to train in Miami with guys like Michael Beasley, Ronnie Taylor, John Wall, Desmond Bane. I just got so much better with those guys.”

Johnson with the Honey Badgers of the CEBL during the COVID season in 2021. (Photo courtesy Brampton Honey Badgers).

After a stop with the Brampton Honey Badgers of the CEBL, the Utah Jazz signed Johnson. Although he never played for the NBA franchise, his experience with the Stars, the G League affiliate, was an outstanding experience that continues to be formative.

“I could just play basketball. Sometimes overseas, you gotta think about this, and that, and a third thing. I just wanted to focus on basketball. Just play,” Johnson explained. “Being an overseas guy, I learned you must do multiple things. You gotta be able to handle your business, avoid certain people. I’m older now. I know what situations to put myself in and what situations not to. It’s been a growing curve for me. But I’m thankful for it all because I got my ultimate goal and that was to get to the NBA.”

That experience in Salt Lake also gave him a renewed appreciation for the game and his place in it.

“I love the Utah Jazz organization. I appreciate them. It was a fun year. It was a great reminder for me of why I’m doing what I’m doing.”

He continued, “At that level, you get better every day playing against the best. It’s what I needed. Even though I proved myself overseas, I ultimately got to where I wanted to be as a player. I am now super confident in my abilities and what I can bring to a team. I know I’m a proven winner. That experience gave me confirmation on everything I’ve been manifesting and working on.”

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As the latest tower in a growing city skyline, Johnson looks to London as an outstanding opportunity to showcase his game, prove himself healthy, win a championship, and work himself back to bigger leagues. His coach agrees.

“Here’s a guy who tried the NBA thing, has world experience in the game, and he’s an experienced guy, but he’s still hungry,” Williams said. “Sometimes, having all that experience, it can whittle the desire down. But this guy still wants to play, still wants to prove himself, prove a point that he’s still got it. I love that.”

He also sees Johnson’s experience aligning with the mission of the overall franchise.

“Players like Nino who’ve been in higher leagues are expected to bring professionalism on and off the court. They’ve learned how to do things the right way, and that’s how we operate here in London. You don’t worry about guys like that coming in and tearing an organization down; they come in with the same level of commitment and skill they showed in bigger leagues, proving themselves to get back there. I think that’s exactly what Nino will do. I’ll hold him to a higher standard, for sure.”