THE Zamboanga Valientes will return to the court and play their first game on Sunday, weeks after their failed bid to acquire the PBA franchise of Terrafirma.
The Valientes take on the visiting Crossfire Basketball USA composed of former American collegiate players in a one-game exhibition at the Southern gym in Barangay Divisoria in Zamboanga City.
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This marks the first public appearance of the team since the PBA announced the collapse of the talks between the Valientes of the Terrafirma franchise.
Juni Navarro confirmed that the negotiations failed because there were certain requirements that both Valientes and Dyip management couldn’t agree on, eventually leading to a mutual agreement not to push through with the sale.
The Valientes were the second team to make a bid for a PBA franchise after it submitted a Letter of Intent following the failure of Starhorse Shipping to close the deal.
“Siguro it’s not yet our time,” said Navarro to SPIN.ph about the failed bid to acquire a PBA franchise.
Meantime, he said the Valientes will continue to play games around the country and overseas to keep the core of the team active.
Hometown boys Denver Cadiz and Das ‘Tausog Hero’ Esa will lead Zamboanga along with former PBA player Renz Parreno and ex-NCAA player Hamadou Laminou in the game against the US team.
Crossfire USA, meanwhile, is bannered by former Bahamas national player JR Cadot and one-time North Carolina A&T standout Marcus Watson.
Navarro, now a councilor in the second district of Zamboanga, said the Valientes will travel to Taiwan and China to play exhibition matches with local club teams.
It’s been a year since the Valientes captured the championship of The Asian Tournament grand finals by beating the Macau Black Bears behind former NBA superstar DeMarcus Cousins.
Early this year, Zamboanga also competed as one of two Filipino teams in the 34th Dubai International Basketball Tournament, and then bagged the title in the 3rd Gov. Ann Hoffer Basketball Tournament in Zamboanga behind a roster backstopped by former San Miguel players Vic Manuel and Kyt Jimenez and 7-foot-6 import Sam Deguara.
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