JUAN Gomez de Liano will no longer play for the Earthfriends Tokyo Z.
The team released the flamboyant Filipino guard on Tuesday, ending a short and largely uneventful run with the Japan B.League second-division squad.
Gomez de Liano has not played for Tokyo Z since December 4 and was curiously deactivated since then.
In his 17 games with the Earthfriends, the former UP Maroons standout averaged 5.3 points, 2.5 assists, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.5 steals, in 16.6 minutes.
JGdL expresses gratitude
"Thank you Tokyo Z for giving me the opportunity and opening doors for me to play in such a beautiful country. I learned so much despite everything that has happened and I'll always be grateful for that," Gomez de Liano said.
Tokyo Z is currently 13th out of 14 teams in the second division with its 5-25 win-loss record.
Gomez de Liano was supposed to be part of the Asia All-Stars special last weekend but was curiously absent from the online panel alongside his fellow Filipinos and Asian imports.
Gomez de Liano's release paves the way for him to enter negotiation with other Japan B.League teams which are looking to beef up their guard rotation for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.
Sources told SPIN.ph there's a chance the Filipino guard will hook up with another Japan ballclub, likely in the top tier.
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