Lebron Lopez joins UP Fighting Maroons amid eligibility concerns

MANILA, Philippines — Francis "Lebron" Lopez has jumped ship from the Ateneo Blue Eagles' nest to join the lair of the UP Fighting Maroons.

After reports surfaced on Saturday night that the high-profile recruit has committed to join the UAAP Season 84 champions, UP program director Bo Perasol confirmed the news to Philstar.com early Sunday morning.

Coincidentally, the news of Lopez' transfer came out during Ateneo's bonfire celebration of their Season 85 UAAP crown. The 19-year-old celebrated the championship with the Blue Eagles on-court last December.

Lopez revealed in a video posted by UP alumni group Nowhere to go but UP that it was pal Carl Tamayo who encouraged him to transfer to the Fighting Maroons.

“Last month, he texted me on Viber to say, ‘Dito ka na sa UP.’ Then you know, I just decided that I wanna go to UP and here I am. I’m in UP now,” Lopez said in the video, where he is also joined by Tamayo.

Lopez added in jest that Tamayo left him in the dust after convincing him to go to Diliman.

“I heard about him going to Japan. Carl, ano na, iniwan mo na ako eh,” he said.

Tamayo, a two-time UAAP Mythical Team member, has gone pro with the Japan B. League's Ryukyu Golden Kings — foregoing his final three years of eligibility in the UAAP.

However, Lopez' eligibility remains in the air for the UP Fighting Maroons as he signed a deal with Overtime Elite (OTE) — a professional basketball league in the US based in Atlanta back in July 2021.

The UAAP has been strictly implementing that its athletes should not play professionally to remain eligible in the league. Of note, though, that Lopez was never able to play a game with OTE.

Since then, Lopez was able to serve the national team in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers and in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.

Should Lopez be cleared to play in the UAAP, the 6'5" swingman will be a big boost to the Maroons as they seek to reclaim the crown after a runner-up finish in UAAP Season 85.

Lopez will help fill the hole left by Tamayo and seniors Zavier Lucero and Henry Galinato.