Fortifying the ninth-ranked Korean Basketball League (KBL) squad, Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters, Rhenz Abando returns to the hardwood following a lumbar fracture that resulted in a two-month absence in time for the East Asia Super League (EASL) semifinals against the top-ranked Group B squad, Seoul SK Knights.
YouTube: SPOTV (c/o Sports Minded TV)
Gilas Pilipinas’ acrobatic frontcourt star returned to action in a KBL regular season contest against Goyang Sono last March 2, 2024, providing 17 points on 55.6 percent shooting off the bench. Tallying 28 minutes on the floor, he contributed four rebounds, three assists, four steals, and one block shot, receiving the matchup’s Player of the Game honors in their narrow 92-87 homestand.
Abando now looks to Lapu-Lapu, Cebu’s The Hoops Dome this March 8-10 weekend, with the hopes of overcoming the Seoul SK Knights’ surge led by fellow Filipino-cager-turned-Asian-import Juan Gómez de Liaño. Following his recent KBL duel, the La Union native disclosed feelings of uncomfortableness, though hopeful in suiting up for his return to the Philippines.
“It is currently at 85-90 percent. It’s hard to talk about pain right now—there is pain when leaning over. I hope that after sleeping for a day, the pain will go away, and I can play in the EASL,” Abando mentioned.
