FROM reppin' Strong Group Athletics in Dubai to a fully-loaded preseason schedule with La Salle, busy is quite the understatement to describe life after winning the UAAP crown for Kevin Quiambao.
All these, on top of naturalization talks with United Arab Emirates, ‘ligang labas’ discussions, and a basketball future that continues to hang in the balance as Season 87 draws near.
But for the reigning UAAP MVP, whose Green Archers were at the wrong end of a 20-point University of the Philippines comeback in the Filoil Ecooil 17th ECJ Preseason Cup final, the next tour of duty will be for flag and country.
READ 'Means nothing': Lopez downplays UP's Filoil title win vs. La Salle
Back in January, Quiambao was named to Tim Cone’s 14-player Gilas pool which will shoot for a trip to Paris in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia from July 2 to 7.
His first major tournament as a national team senior will carry high stakes, as the Philippines bids for an eighth Olympic appearance - and its first since the 1972 edition of the Games in Munich, Germany.
While 6-foot-7 modern big admitted to questioning his physical readiness with just weeks of preparation to come, any chance to represent the Philippines is one he will never ever turn down.
“Sobrang hard ng schedule. One week lang akong out, and then diretso Gilas na nga. Then after Gilas, ‘di ko na alam kung kaya pa ng katawan ko,” he said.
“(Pero) naka-program naman lahat ng ‘to sa mga strength and conditioning (coaches) namin. Thankful ako sa mga opportunity na binibigay ng Gilas sa’kin. Every time naman na may call-up, 100 percent ready ako.”
KQ's bigger role for country - and then school
Right after helping out the national team, it'll then be time for Quiambao to turn his full attention to La Salle's title defense.
As he and the Green Archers will just have a little over a month to wrap up their preparations for the new season tipping off on September 8, the 23-year-old is determined to take on the challenge of taking his game up a notch.
“Kung ano 'yung kinalabasan last season, hihigitan pa namin, pero one game at a time lang kami. Maraming nawala sa'min, (kaya) mas bigger role ako this season (at) kailangan ko ring mag-step up palagi and kailangan kong mag-lead by example sa lahat ng kakampi ko," he expressed.
Still, Quiambao stressed yet again that La Salle is no one-man show and it'd take everybody to go back-to-back - just as much as it'd take everybody to move forward from going 0-2 against UP in the Filoil Preseason.
“‘Yung init naman ng championship, nandun pa rin naman sa’min. Kailangan lang naming i-figure out kung ano talaga ‘yung kailangan pa namin. Good thing na maaga pa lang, may reality check na kami kaya these coming months, talagang puspusan ang training namin,” he said.
“Sa totoo lang, ‘di lang naman ako yung magli-lead ng team, lahat kami. Lagi naming sinasabi nina coach Topex [Robinson], 16-strong kami sa team. ‘Yung veteran leadership na nawala sa’min last season, kailangan lang naming punan ‘yun."
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