Orlando Johnson is set for a PBA comeback, this time with San Miguel Beermen.
Multiple sources confirmed to SPIN.ph on Thursday that the former Barangay Ginebra import arrived two days ago and is currently undergoing quarantine ahead of his stint in the 2021 PBA Governors' Cup.
News of his arrival in the country came just a day after San Miguel import Brandon Brown bid the team and its fans goodbye in an Instagram Story even before the Beermen could make an official announcement.
"Thank you San Miguel for my time here,” Brown wrote. "Thank you PBA for allowing imports to come to this country and do what they love. Thank you fans for the support. Happy you guys get to watch your favorite teams.
"Dark B out.”
SMB import hunt
News that the Beermen were shopping around for a replacement import has flown for days as the PBA powerhouse struggled at the start of the Governors Cup, losing its first two games before recovering with three wins.
Brown, 36, averaged 23.40 points, 12.60 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in those five games.
In Johnson, the Beermen will get an ultra-athletic import who won't crowd June Mar Fajardo and Vic Manuel in the shaded lane but can flourish in the wings and beyond the three-point arc.
The 6-foot-5 guard has played in 103 NBA games and last saw action for Brisbane of the NBL in the 2020-2021 season. The 32-year old averaged 33.7 points and 11.3 rebounds in his 12-game stint with Ginebra in 2015.
However, Ginebra went a pedestrian 5-6 (win-loss) and bowed out at the quarterfinal stage during Johnson's time with the ballclub.
