CHICAGO -- After the Meralco Bolts dealt him a bad hand last September by cutting him abruptly right before the start of a conference, Franky Johnson had every reason to be bitter.
He chose to be better, instead.
Unable to latch on to another team because of the awful timing of his release, Frankie used the gym as a safe place to seek shelter from the brutal fate that befell him.
The high road he took, the one with the least traffic because it's a path not many choose, led him to playing in smaller leagues before eventually landing firmly on his sneakers.
And that happy place turned out to be the Zamboanga Valientes, a team that consistently carries our flag in overseas events but is somehow often overlooked and under-appreciated.
"Always feels great to be playing the game that I love in front of thousands of fans. Valientes has been a great experience and a wonderful opportunity," Frankie told me in a telephone interview.
"We get to travel internationally and connect with different people in different places around the world," he added.
NEW HOME. NEW GOALS.
Making the most of his new-found platform, Frankly sparkled with 24 points highlighted by four made 3s and 3 steals to lead Zamboanga past the Macau Black Bears, 90-82, at the City of Passi Arena in Iloilo.
Frankie's herics catapulted the Valientes to the Final Four of Leg 2 competition of the import-ladden Asian Tournament, which is formerly known as ASEAN Basketball League (ABL)
In Leg 1 held last month in Foshan, China, Johnson was just as reliable, averaging 19.5 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals a game.
The happy vibe with management and the pleasure of hooping alongside Malik Diouff, Nick Evans and former PBA-er Mike Tolomia, to name a few, has added fuel to Franky's fire.
"The owner of the team, Junnie Navarro, has welcomed me with open arms since Day One and it's a joy to be here."
For years, the Navarros have been the most active sports patrons in the region. Not only do the Valientes constantly participate in local and international tourneys, they pour huge finances to bring in the best talent.
GETTING NOTICED.
Last year, Zamboanga signed former NBA champion Mario Chalmers and the Valientes are currently in negotiations to bring in former Lakers and Magic center Dwight Howard.
Thanks to his exposure with the Valientes since signing with them last March, Johnson is "getting some interest from other leagues around Asia," he reluctantly admits.
But he is not discounting a return to the PBA, either, or an engagement in the MPBL where the pay scale and level of competition have exponentially increased as manifested in the signing of Greg Slaughter with the Manila Stars.
"If the contract is right and the fit is best for me, I'd be open to returning to the PBA and open to taking my talents to the MPBL as well," he said.
Still very much in his prime at age 30, Frankie has so much more to give to basketball beyond the aerial acrobatics that he is known for. His game has evolved so much since he was taken as the 17th overall pick in the 2021 PBA Rookie Draft.
For now, though, the focus is to lift Zamboanga over the Pola Pilipinas RPG in their knockout semifinals match tonight in Iloilo.
Given how Frankie has been tearing through the competition as of late, the Valientes have an excellent chance of barging into the Leg 2 Finals.
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