LAPU-LAPU CITY – Hayden Blankley and Jamil Wilson are hoping their return to the Philippines will result in a championship this time at the EASL Final Four.
Blankley is currently playing for the New Taipei Kings, who are going up against the Chiba Jets in Friday’s semifinals at the Hoops Dome, while Wilson is serving as one of the imports of the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters who are facing Seoul SK Knights in the other Final Four clash.
It is not the first time the two players are playing in the Philippines.
Blankley previously played for the Bay Area Dragons in the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup where they lost to Barangay Ginebra.
Wilson, on the other hand, didn’t reach the playoffs of the 2023-24 PBA Commissioner’s Cup after Converge finished last in the eliminations.
They want this trip to Cebu, a memorable one this time with a championship in the EASL.
“This is my second year playing professionally. This is my next opportunity to win,” said Blankley, who joined the New Taipei Kings team that served as the replacement for the Bay Area Dragons in the EASL.
While he is playing in the Taiwan domestic league P.League+, Blankley said the EASL is definitely the ultimate goal for him after deciding to sign up with the Kings.
“I’m very locked in. I want to win this for sure. This is sort of what I’m playing for so I’m excited,” said the Australian.
Wilson also wants to win the final EASL game of the season for Anyang following the struggles of Converge in the PBA. But Wilson said the FiberXers campaign didn’t go for naught as he felt that the entire team got better as the campaign progressed.
“It was a wonderful experience playing here in the PBA,” said Wilson, who came to Manila midway through the Commissioner’s Cup to replace Tom Vodanovich.
“The Filipino fanbase is very basketball crazy. As a player, that’s something I want to involve in. I had a great time with my team. Even though we were young, there were a lot of learning curves. But as a team, as the year progressed, we got better. We showed that at times. We just didn’t have the experience. But I think we fought at the end of the day,” said Wilson.
Wilson said he is enjoying his time in Korea and wants to bring home a championship for the Red Boosters in the EASL.
“You are not exactly the focal point night in and night out. You share the load. It’s very beneficial. It makes my job easier,” said Wilson, when asked about the differences in playing in the PBA and the KBL.
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