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    Part II: Intrepid batch of Pinoy ballers push the boundaries overseas

    Former ABL chief thrilled to see Ravena and Co. blaze a trail for Filipino players
    Sep 27, 2021
    Thirdy Ravena Juan Gomez de Liano GDL Lebron Lopez Kai Sotto
    PHOTO: Japan B.League | Jerome AscaƱo | Fiba.basketball | Adelaide 36ers

    [Editor's Note: Second of a series. Here's Part 1 ]

    PUBLIC support for basketball players heading overseas has been understandably overwhelming, the move viewed as a positive for the individual development of the players and invaluable for the progress of Philippine basketball.

    But just how much will this exposure help hone the players?

    A lot.

    "These players will be able to gain experience, both on and off the court, that will never be at par with what they can learn if they just stayed in their comfort zones," said Jericho Ilagan, former chief operating officer of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL),

    "Having to fend for yourself in another country will give these players the mental toughness and focus that will prepare for much bigger things in the future, be it in the PBA or elsewhere," he continued.

    "Learning new offensive systems and defensive dynamics, some of which they may have not seen before, will really prepare them for their career journey. It's something they won't get as compared to them being given everything on a silver platter here in the Philippines."

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    As ABL chief, Ilagan saw for himself how globalization helped lift the level of basketball in Southeast Asia and opened new doors for players from the Philippines, which for so long have been the undisputed basketball power in the region.

    When the ABL opened shop in 2009, Ilagan said exposure to a higher level of basketball helped Southeast Asian teams which for so long were whipping boys in international competition to form more competitive national teams.

    It was only a matter of time before ballclubs from these countries started giving Philippine ballclubs a run for their money.

    To date, Philippine-based clubs have only won the ABL championship thrice over the past nine years, with teams from Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia all getting the opportunity to lift the trophy at the end of the season.

    Stanley Pringle

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    The ABL also served as stepping stones for players with Filipino lineage like Stanley Pringle, Matthew Wright, Jason Brickman, Christian Standhardinger, and Mo Tautuaa, who except for Brickman all went on to have big careers in the PBA.

    The ABL also proved a new lease on life for Filipino players like Leo Avenido, Al Vergara, Rudy Lingganay, and Jai Reyes, who found new careers as Asean Heritage Imports under a format replicated in other Asian leagues.

    "Players who weren't able to regularly see playing time with their then PBA teams overnight became a primary option with their ABL teams," said Ilagan. "This, in turn, made the ABL a stage where these former PBA players were able to showcase that they still belonged in the PBA."

    When the ABL expanded to East Asia in 2017 to include teams from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, it exposed the league's players, Filipinos included, to an even higher level of competition, Ilagan said.

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      "Expanding into East Asia was really the turning point of the perception when it comes to Filipinos' talents on the court," he said. "We were able to see Filipino players, most of which did not have a professional careers at that point, hold their own against top talent from East Asian countries."

      Ilagan said the ABL showcased how good Filipino players are to the rest of Asia. It helped players like Ray Parks and Kiefer Ravena, then playing for Alab Pilipinas, gaining the attention of scouts, including those from Australia.

      The exposure not only benefited Filipinos but also players from other nations, including Indonesian-American Brandon Jawato who like eight other Filipino rising stars is set to make his Japan B.League debut to play for the Utsunomiya Brex.

      With these opportunities, Ilagan said it was only a matter of time before Filipino basketball players caught the attention of overseas teams.

      "I think it was bound to happen," he said. "Filipinos have been on the radar of the entire global basketball community for a long time now, like when Johnny Abarrientos was considered for the NBA, when Gilas Pilipinas went to Spain [in the 2014 Fiba World Cup], and when Japeth [Aguilar], Ray, and Kiefer tried their luck in the then-NBA D League. Actually back in 2016, we had scouts from the Australia NBL looking at Kiefer and Ray."

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        And he's overjoyed to see an intrepid batch of young players, led by Kiefer, brother Thirdy and Ray and even teenagers like LeBron Lopez and kai Sotto, pushing the boundaries and opening new frontiers for the Filipino basketball player.

        "This generation has a lot of pride when it comes to representing their country," Ilagan said. "These players who chose to play overseas have a lot of reasons why. What I’m sure of is that one of those reasons is making the world see that a Filipino can make it anywhere."

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        PHOTO: Japan B.League | Jerome AscaƱo | Fiba.basketball | Adelaide 36ers
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