Macau Black Bears Sign Adonis Thomas, Johnny Wang
December 5, 2024
2 mins
Macau secures key replacements for Cylla, Artino
The Macau Black Bears have signed forwards Adonis Thomas and Johnny Wang (王翊雄), the team announced on their social media accounts Monday. Macau’s two new additions come after it released Jeantal Cylla and Will Artino. On Nov. 8, Cylla signed with the Selenge Bodons, a team in the Mongolian Basketball League, while Artino joined Kesatria Bengawan Solo of the Indonesia Basketball League on Nov. 26.
Cylla and Artino, who combined to average an impressive 53 points per game across four East Asia Super League (EASL) matchups this season, helped the Black Bears to a 2-2 record. Their stellar performances included securing notable victories over the reigning P. LEAGUE+ champions, the New Taipei Kings, and the KBL champions, the Busan KCC Egis.
Thomas joins Macau as a former McDonald’s All-American (2011) and NBA D-League (now G-League) All-Star (2015). The 6-foot-6 forward most recently played for Bnei Herzliya Basket in the Israel Basketball Premier League during the 2023-24 season and has also spent time playing in Germany, Poland, France, Mexico, and Italy over his 10-year professional career. After going undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft following two years at the University of Memphis, Thomas spent two years in the NBA D-League before going overseas, where he has continued his career ever since.
Wang is a 6-foot-7 forward from Beijing, China PRC. He attended California State University, Fullerton, from 2017 to 2021, where he averaged 2.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. In 2021, Wang was selected as the first overall pick in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) draft by the Fujian Sturgeons. However, he struggled to find his rhythm during his two seasons with the team. In 2023, Wang joined the Shanghai Jiushi 3x3 Basketball Club in the China 3x3 Basketball League, where he played before joining the Macau Black Bears.
Although it will be challenging to replicate Cylla and Artino’s scoring and rebounding numbers, Thomas and Wang are strong two-way players. The pair is expected to complement 7-foot-6 center Samuel Deguara as versatile wings and are likely to make their debuts on Dec. 11, when Macau faces New Taipei in the 2024 EASL Macau Classic.