Entering his sophomore year as a pro, Karl Dehesa made a name for himself after playing for Manila North in the 2015 FIBA 3X3 Manila Masters.
Together with Calvin Abueva, Troy Rosario, and Vic Manuel, the quartet won it all in Manila to qualify for the world tour finale in Abu Dhabi.
But in the five-on-five scene, the 6-foot-2 guard could not catch a break. Admittedly, his pro career was not what he envisioned it to be.
“I feel like I’ve been forgotten.
“It’s understandable ’cause I haven’t been playing, but it is what it is,” shared the 22nd overall pick in the 2012 draft, who is now a free agent.
After he went unsigned by the Alaska Aces during the off-season, Dehesa found a new lease on life with Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 club team Vigan Baluarte Zoo.
And now, he feels back at home.
“It’s great. It’s competitive. Guys want to play and they want to show what they can do. This league is a great opportunity for us to show what we can do,” the California-born Fil-Am said.
“It’s like second chance for everybody.“
Joining Dehesa in Vigan are the likes of Joshua Webb, JR Ongteco, Jojo Cunanan, and team owner Christian Singson. Though the field for the President’s Cup will be tough, Dehesa believes that they have a shot of winning it all and qualifying for the world stage once more.
“I see it as an even playing field. Not many of these guys played 3×3 and the league is different. You play more than one game a day,” he said.
“It can be anyone’s game any given day.”
