Ex-PBA journey man Reil Cervantes returns to Bicol with CamSur Express

MANILA, Philippines — After several years in the PBA, and the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), Reil Cervantes is finally coming home.

This after the journey man inked a deal with National Basketball League's (NBL) CamSur Express, which places him back to his home province of Bicol for the first time in his playing career.

The ninth overall pick in the 2011 PBA draft, Cervantes will be taking a new step in his basketball journey — one that he has longed to take.

"Masaya [ako] kasi first time ko maglaro dito sa Bicol sa buong career ko," he said in a press conference on Wednesday.

"Pinapangarap ko na maglaro dito sa Bicol," he continued.

Cervantes saw his best performances in his career when he was with the Blackwater Elite where he played for three years from 2014 to 2017.

Traded from Barako Bull Energy to then what was known as the Kia Carnival, Cervantes saw his minutes sky rocket to more than 20 minutes per game after only averaging a meager five minutes in his first two seasons in the league.

Cervantes would make his impact felt with the Elite where he averaged more than 10 points a game in his stay.

The 34-year-old then would have a brief stint in the ASEAN Basketball League with the Westports Malaysia Dragons in 2017 before shifting to the MPBL where he suited up for the Manila Stars and Pampanga Giant Lanterns.

Now though, as he returns to the pros once again, Cervantes hopes to bring his experience as a veteran to lead the Express to a deep run in the upcoming NBL season.

"Ang matutulong ko sa team ay yung leadership ko bilang kuya nila at saka sabi ko kay coach (JP Disuanco) one page kami, magtulungan kami," he said.

Barring any hurdles, Cervantes and the rest of the Express will begin their campaign in the NBL in April.