A change of direction taken by the Korean Basketball League (KBL) team, his camp had spoken to ended Adrian Nocum’s hopes of taking his talents abroad.
The ball club, which he no longer named, once expressed interest in acquiring his services for his stellar play for Rain or Shine. However, it has opted to look for wingmen instead of guards like him to sign under the Asian Player Quota program.
“Ang nangyari kasi, kinausap kami nung Koreano. Ang sabi roon kay Boss Danny [Espiritu], sa agent ko, ‘yung hinahanap na nila is, like, ‘yung parang mga Arvin Tolentino: ‘yung malalaki na wingman,” he told Tiebreaker Times.
Nocum was referring to arguably the biggest news that shook the local hoops scene last May 30, when Seoul SK announced that it inked Arvin Tolentino to a three-year deal and made him the latest Filipino to play in the KBL.
For a while, the 6-foot-5 winger’s next destination was a hot topic among fans and netizens online as he had been rumored to go overseas, with his old contract with the NorthPort franchise already expired last April 30.
Lo and behold, the speculations were true as the former FEU star went on to sign with the Knights just two months after being crowned as the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference.
And that signing has apparently prompted the other KBL sides to rethink their choices in picking up players for the APQ program, thus affecting discussions between the unidentified team and the 25-year-old Nocum.
“So ayun ‘yung nangyari,” reflected the former Mapua standout, who at 6-foot has emerged as one of the league’s better and more effective slashers today.
Even though things didn’t pan out, the Tondo native’s basketball career continues. As the aforementioned talks fell through, Nocum was offered and then signed a fresh three-year extension with the Elasto Painters.
Terms of the new deal were not disclosed, but he will be paid close to the PBA’s max salary of Php 420,000 a month, according to multiple reports.
And there should be no question that he has earned the bag, so to speak. Since being taken 24th overall in the 2023 Draft, Nocum has blossomed into one of the league’s most exciting guards because of his athleticism.
“OK ako rito sa Rain or Shine eh. Sobrang saya siyempre kasi nabibigyan ako ng playing time ni Coach, ng pagkakataon na makapaglaro,” he said.
In fact, their recent Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup semifinal showdown against TNT saw him average 14.0 points, 3.67 assists, and 1.67 steals. However, Rain or Shine ultimately lost to the Grand Slam seekers in six games.
Nonetheless, it marker the Elasto Painters’ fourth semis in a row, and Coach Yeng Guiao considers that a victory — especially for a team still in the process of building a legitimate championship contender.
Nocum himself felt some measure of pride being part of this youthful yet gritty bunch. But their series against the Tropang 5G, for him, was another reminder for the entire crew that there remains a lot of work to be done.
“Kailangan ‘yung mga ganung dikdikan, wala nang magkakamali. Kailangan talaga pagtrabahuhan pa kung ano ‘yung mga pagkukulang namin,” he said.
#WATCH: Adrian Nocum reflects on another tough #PBA2025 semis exit and opens up on what Rain or Shine still needs to take that next step 🏀
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/rPQ77A10oT
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) July 6, 2025
