LESS than 24 hours after La Salle lost the UAAP championship to University of the Philippines, Kevin Quiambao, the Green Archer star and two-time Most Valuable Player, made it official: he's leaving the team and will bring his talent to South Korea.
While the decision was not totally surprising after he was offered a too-good-to-refuse amount to play abroad, still it somehow was a disappointment for the La Salle faithful which was hoping KQ would stay for one more year and bring another championship to the school.
But after saying shortly after the UAAP championship series that went to a deciding third game that he would take a rest following a season during which he said he played for nearly eight straight months for the school and other teams, he dropped the bombshell early Monday to end all speculations.
The 6-foot-7 Quiambao, 23, who was also MVP last year after leading La Salle to the UAAP championship, said he is signing with Goyang Sono Skygunners in the Korean Basketball League (KBL), confirming earlier reports by SPIN.ph.
READ: Kevin Quiambao set to fly out to Korea immediately after UAAP Finals
The "sudden" announcement may have been prompted by a possible deadline set by the South Korean team which has been struggling in the ongoing Korean Basketball League.
Perhaps afraid that he might miss out on the huge pay offered by the team, Quiambao made a quick turnaround and made his plans official.
According to a piece by SPIN.ph columnist Homer Sayson last September, Quiambao was offered $275,000 salary in his first year and $375,000 in the second year. Third year is a player option.
In all, Quiambao stands to earn at least P37 million for the next two years. To earn that much in the PBA, it will probably take him 10 years, if his team is generous.
He will be the ninth Filipino player in the KBL if the deal becomes official. One prominent Filipino in the league is Carl Tamayo, his high school teammate.
Quiambao shared his plans for the future in a lengthy post on Monday morning, where he expressed his gratitude for the three years he spent at Taft.
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"To the Lasallian Community, OSD, thank you for three wonderful seasons, a lot of sweat, tears, and sacrifices. Thank you for making me a great student-athlete," he wrote.
He thanked team benefactors led by Mans Carpio, Raffy Villavicencio, and Terry Capistrano, as well as his coach Topex Robinson and strength and conditioning coach Migs Aytona "for unlocking and unleashing KQ," as well as his teammates.
"I can't thank you enough for your unwavering support. Thank you for believing in me and pushing me to reach my potential. I am so grateful and blessed to have you guys," he wrote.
Quiambao's longterm plan includes pursuing a possible NBA career even as he truns pro after signing with the Korean league team.
"With that being said, my college career comes to an end. I will pursue my NBA dream and start my journey by playing professional ball in Goyang Sono Skygunners and developing my game even more," he said.
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