NOT many Filipino basketball fans know who Avan Nava is. Not even after he was signed by the Seoul Samsung Thunders in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) last season.
Nava admitted he himself was surprised to be signed by one of the KBL's big teams, saying: “I just played well in our conference, shot the ball well,” looking back on his final year at St. Francis Xavier University.
“I guess the scouts there were impressed.”
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That foray, however, didn’t pan out the way Nava wanted to, as he averaged 3.8 points and 1.2 assists in 12.7 minutes across his 36 games for Seoul.
“I didn’t play too well and they didn’t re-sign me,” he admitted matter of factly.
Now, the Fil-Canadian guard is betting on himself again as he enters the PBA Season 49 Rookie Draft, where he is attracting interest in such a short time.
“I’d rather take my chances here,” said the 24-year-old guard who traces his roots to Antipolo.
It’s been almost a decade since Nava last played here, way back in 2016 when he was part of the Durham Crossover Canada team of coach Mike Cruz which became the first international squad to participate in the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) National Finals.
There, he teamed up with the likes of James Kwekuteye and Matthew Daves, both of whom are now in the PBA.
Nava turns heads in Combine
Eight years later, he’s seeking to follow in their footsteps.
Standing at 6-foot-1, Nava turned a lot of heads in the Draft Combine with his shooting and playmaking, facets of his game which he feels are his strong points.
“I feel like my shooting sets me apart. I’m more of a combo guard than a shooting guard,” he said.
And who knows, Nava might just surprise a lot of people again come Draft Day.
"I hope to get picked," he said. “I’m hoping to learn a lot in the PBA, a lot of great players."
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