Waiting game for high-flyer

PHOTO: JEROME ASCANO

RHENZ Abando is one marquee name missing from the official list of prospects who applied for the coming Season 49 PBA draft.

Apparently, the former Gilas Pilipinas player is still bent on taking his act overseas.

“May inaantay lang kami,” he said when asked where his next destination will be.

“What’s next is tinitingnan pa namin yung market. May mga tinitingnan pa kami. May mga wini-weigh pa kaming mga offers.”

The 26-year-old wingman is represented by EMBM (Espiritu Manotoc Basketball Management).

Abando though, declined to go into specifics on where he’s bound for the coming season, whether he’ll be making his debut in the Japan B.League or return to the Korean Basketball League (KBL), albeit for another team.

Prior to becoming a free agent, he was coming off a two-year stint with the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang in the KBL.

PHOTO BY: JEROME ASCANO

The native of Santo Tomas, La Union had a productive career with the Red Boosters, where he won a league championship in his rookie season and ruled the slam dunk contest during the KBL’s All-Star weekend.

Anyang also won the East Asia Super League (EASL) Champions Week.

But the former Rookie-MVP of the NCAA out of Letran suffered a major back injury during his sophomore season following a bad fall that resulted in fractures to his 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae, a sprained wrist, and a concussion.

He missed a total of 18 games and as Anyang struggled the entire season and fell to second to last place as it failed to defend its title.

Shortly after, Abando announced he won’t be renewing his contract with the Korean-based club team.

His decision led to speculations he’ll finally be joining the PBA draft, where his former University of Santo Tomas teammates CJ Cansino and Mark Nonoy already applied.

But Abando’s application nor his representative were around when the final day of application closed at the end of the office hours last Thursday.

“May hinihintay pa kami,” he repeated about his career plans.

For now as he awaits whatever offer comes his way, Abando will be donning the Strong Group Athletics jersey for the coming Jones Cup in Taiwan.