AFTER an aborted stint at Rain or Shine, Daniel Ochefu gets another shot at suiting up for a PBA team after TNT tapped him to be its second import in the East Asia Basketball League (EASL) Champions Week next month.
The window of opportunity opened for the 29-year-old American-born Nigerian after original choice Prince Ibeh failed to secure a clearance from the TaiwanBeer HeroBears where he currently plays in the T1 League.
“He (Ibeh) wasn’t release by his Taiwan team,” said TNT coach Jojo Lastimosa. “So we took in (Daniel) Ochefu, yung dating import sana ng Rain or Shine.”
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Lastimosa said Ochefu, a member of the Villanova Wildcats team that won the 2016 US NCAA championship, is arriving in the country within the week to join the Tropang Giga in the builup for the EASL set from March 1-5 in Utsunomiya and Okinawa, Japan.
The 6-foot-11 Ochefu was set to play for Rain or Shine in the last Commissioner’s Cup when the team was still handled by Chris Gavina.
But shortly after Yeng Guiao took over the coaching post prior to the start of the mid-season tournament, the Elasto Painters decided to let go of Ochefu and instead, settled for Steve Taylor Jr.
Although undrafted, the import managed to play briefly with the Washington Wizards.
Ochefu was likewise a member of the Nigeria basketball team that saw action in the 2017 FIBA Africa Championship.
He’s expected to team up with fellow new import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as TNT vies for the $250,000 prize money at stake in the EASL.
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