Filipino overseas player Rhenz Abando is making noise at the Korean Basketball League (KBL) after claiming the East Asia Super League (EASL) Champions Week title last Wednesday, March 1.
The former UST and Letran star had 11 points, four rebounds, two steals, and a block that night at Nikkan Arena, helping his teammates, ex-NBA player Omar Spellman (22 points) and Darryl Monroe (21 points), to get the chip.
Because of his performance, head coach Kim Sang-Shik was highly pleased with his output, especially after suffering an injury.
“He couldn’t start the season early. But when he came back to the season, he’s been doing a great job on scoring the ball and getting rebounds because of his strength,” explained Sang-Shik through a translator. “He’ll get better, too.”
Abando, 24, was sidelined for quite some time due to a groin injury. As a result, his debut with the Anyang KGC was delayed.
He first played against the Changwon LG Sakers. Unfortunately, by a huge margin, they lost 89-69, with him only making two points.
However, he was able to bounce back, and by playing for 17.9 minutes per game, Abando produced 8.32 points, 2.29 rebounds, and one assist. His games were very much anticipated by OKBET and Filipinos, hoping he could help Anyang win another title.
With the huge potential to be a star, the athlete will receive a huge payout. He will get $181,539 or P10 million a year.
“He’s young (24), athletic, skilled, and he’ll keep improving because he works hard. He can hit the three, drive inside, rebound, play defense, and pass. And he just won the KBL Slam Dunk championship,” said his coach.
His teammates, Spellman and Monroe, also believe Abando can be a star.
Rhenz Abando, the College Superstar
Rhenz Abando, an athletic 6’2 guard, was spectacular during his collegiate as a San Juan de Letran star.
In his debut with the team, he produced 19 points, eight rebounds, four blacks, and three assists against the CSB Blazers.
He led the Letran Knights to their back-to-back championship ring back in May 2022. They swept Mapua in a two-game series.
Abando not only won the crown but also earned the Rookie MVP.
With his stint at Letran, he averaged 15.6 points per game, 6.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.2 blocks.
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