Air21 taps Witherspoon as new import

MANILA, Philippines -- Air21 has decided to change its import, acquiring the services of former Memphis Tiger Wesley Witherspoon to take over from Herve Lamizana.

Witherspoon, the last cut in the San Antonio Spurs lineup for the 2012-13 NBA season, is to arrive in time for Air21’s game versus Meralco Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Express have been on a roller-coaster ride with Lamizana, winning over Globalport and Barako Bull but bowing to Talk n Text and Alaska Milk. On their victories over the Batang Pier and the Energy Cola, Lamizana picked up his game only in the final half.

With Witherspoon, the Express hope they could find a steady and more reliable reinforcement who can match up with Richard Howell and James Mays, considered by many as the barometer among the imports in this conference.

Witherspoon is a 6-foot-9 forward signed up by the Spurs in the 2012 NBA preseason only to field later in the Austin Toros team in the NBA D-League. He was later traded to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers where he averaged 14 points, four rebounds and three assists a game.

As a San Antonio Spur in the 2012 NBA summer league, Witherspoon had a solid stint, averaging 8.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 64-percent field shooting. He poured in a personal tournament-best of 17 points against the Houston Rockets, highlighting a stellar NBA summer league stint that had him narrowly missing the final roster spot of the 2012 San Antonio team.