MANILA, Philippines — Juan Gomez de Liaño is making a return to 3x3 basketball in the upcoming 2020 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 President's Cup.
After three years of shifting to 5-on-5 in his collegiate year, the University of the Philippines 6'1" guard is coming back to his roots.
"I was introduced to 3x3 basketball when I was 8 or 9 years old. I would play 3x3 with grownups; I grew up playing in the streets," Gomez de Liaño said.
"We're playing 3x3 and that's the OG," he said.
Prior to his UAAP Seniors stint with the Fighting Maroons, Gomez de Liaño was part of a quartet with Aj Edu, Rhayyan Amsali and Encho Serrano who led the Philippines to a historic seventh place finish in the FIBA Under-18 World Cup.
Now, with the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards, Gomez de Liaño is back on the 3x3 court.
This time playing with older players like Gab Banal, Tonino Gonzaga and Jai Reyes, Gomez de Liaño aims to win it all in the pro 3x3 tourney.
"We joined this tournament with one mindset — to win," Gomez de Liaño said.
The President's Cup begins on October 21 and ends on October 30 at the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 bubble in Calamba, Laguna.