CANTON, Ohio » Zane Johnson doesn’t regret spending last season, his first in professional basketball, abroad. That’s because his experiences in Japan and Spain helped him grow on and off the court.

However, now that the former University of Hawaii guard is back stateside and trying to catch on with Canton of the NBA Development League, the 24-year-old concedes there’s no place like home.

"Spain, it was very interesting," Johnson said. "I got to see a different culture and a different way of basketball, but it’s nothing like America.

In eight games with Rizing Fukuoka of Japan, he averaged 7.5 points and 1.8 rebounds. He then played for Caceres in the Spanish third division, averaging 4.4 points and 1.8 rebounds. He averaged 13 minutes per game on the court.

Like most Americans who play abroad, he immediately noticed several major differences in the international game.

"The biggest thing was floor spacing," Johnson said. "The court’s smaller. There’s no defensive three seconds. It’s slower and sets take longer to develop."

And upon first arriving in the D-League, he quickly realized how things were going to be on that circuit.

"It’s been high intensity, high paced and very defensive-oriented," Johnson said. "But it’s more team basketball than I thought. The D-League is all about one-on-one, but this team is very team-oriented and defensive-oriented."

The allure of the D-League — getting to play professionally stateside in a league owned and run by the NBA, and one heavily scouted by front-office personnel from all 30 clubs in the Association — was obvious. And playing for Canton, a club owned and operated by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are only 60 minutes away, clearly has its advantages.

"Yeah, it’s huge," Johnson said. "The Cavs are down here all the time and it’s really like a partnership. It’s better than a lot of teams that have four or five NBA teams feeding into one. I think the Cavs have done a really good job here and I don’t think there’s a better D-League team out there."

It’s quite clear that Johnson is relishing the chance to play basketball in the U.S. for the first time as a professional, but he has taken everything he learned from his time abroad and has used those lessons to become a better player.

"Of course, it was a learning experience I used to get better," Johnson said. "But it’s a completely different style. I feel like it helped me in different ways as far as my passing and being more patient."

The ultimate goal for Johnson, as for every D-League player, is to get an NBA call-up, but he knows for that to happen he has to prove that he can knock down shots, play good defense and do whatever it takes to help his team win.

"I know I’m not going to the NBA to be a superstar," Johnson said. "I’m going to be a role player. I need to prove that’s what I can do."

But no matter if he’s in the D-League, the NBA or overseas again, one thing remains constant — his strong affinity for the Aloha State.

"I love Hawaii," Johnson said. "I would do anything for Hawaii. Just the opportunity to make it this far, I owe it to Hawaii. Hopefully, I can help the program get bigger and better and represent for all the people from Hawaii who have helped me out."