No hard feelings for Abando despite limited minutes in Gilas' first 2 FIBA World Cup games
MANILA, Philippines – Rhenz Abando says he had no qualms spending majority of the first two 2023 FIBA World Cup games on the bench, after which he was finally given significant playing time in Gilas Pilipinas’ 90-83 loss to Italy in their last group stage game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday.
After playing only a combined eight minutes against Dominican Republic and Angola, Abando was able to strut his stuff with more than 14 minutes of action versus the Italians.
The NCAA champion made the most of his time on the court, finishing with eight points and two rebounds.
“Wala[ng tampo]. Kasi, ano naman eh. Last time, FIBA Asia [Cup], actually na-cut ako doon. Parang naging motivation ko yun,” Abando said.
“So, ngayon alam ko, marami pang goals sa sarili ko and next call-up siguro alam ko, tatanggapin ko yun. Kasi alam ko, alam ng mga coaches, alam ko rin na may mga lapses din ako so kailangang pagbutihan ko pa, kailanang itama ang pagkakamali ko para mas marami akong makuhang minutes sa susunod,” he added.
Fans had qualms about Abando’s limited minutes early on in the campaign. Supporters knew the caliber of play that Abando, who is also a champion in the Korean Basketball League, could bring to the table.
But Abando said he simply stays ready whenever coach Chot Reyes calls on him.
“Nag-usap nga kami ni Manong (Kiefer Ravena) na ready lang lagi. Minemessage niya ako. Ready lang talaga tayo,” said Abando.
“Malay mo bigla tayong bunutin and talagang nanggigigil rin ako maglaro kasi gusto kong patunayan na sa sarili ko sa harap ng maraming crowd, lalo na sa harap ng Filipino fans. Nakakasa kami lagi,” he added.
Abando and the rest of Gilas will now shift their focus to the classification phase, where they will seek to earn an outright berth to the 2024 Paris Olympics by being the best performing Asian team in the tournament.
As it stands, Gilas will have to overtake Japan, which has won one game in the group phase.
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