Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times
(C) PBA Images

3x3 Basketball

Samboy De Leon, Lervin Flores relish opportunity to play for Gilas 3×3


TNT mainstays Samboy De Leon and Lervin Flores are out to maximize the opportunity of a lifetime after being called up by Gilas Pilipinas for the 2022 FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup this week at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

Never did the two ever imagine that they would be given a chance to represent the country overseas, thus the immense excitement on their part to compete against the best that the continent has to offer in the July 6-10 festivities.

2022-PBA-3x3-Third-Conference-Grand-Finals-TNT-Lervin-Flores Samboy De Leon, Lervin Flores relish opportunity to play for Gilas 3x3 3x3 Basketball Gilas Pilipinas News PBA 3X3  - philippine sports news

(C) PBA Images

“Big dream na nangyari sa buhay ko,” said the 6-foot-5 Flores.

“First time ko ‘to. Sobra. 3×3 pa. Nandito pala ‘yung career ko. ‘Di ba?”

De Leon added: “Sobrang honored, siyempre. Rare opportunity na makapag-suot ka ng jersey ng Pilipinas, makapaglaro ka para sa Pilipinas.”

Gilas 3×3 is bannered practically by the Tropang Giga core that recently bagged home the PBA 3×3 Third Conference grand championship.

Flores and De Leon are joining their star Almond Vosotros for the wars. Also with them is Purefoods Tender Juicy main man Joseph Eriobu.

It was actually those two teams who met in the grand finale, with the Tropa coming out on top with a 21-19 overtime victory that saw them crawl back from a five-point deficit with less than two minutes left in regulation.

That also served as a sweet payback for the flagship MVP franchise after losing to their corporate rivals back in the sixth leg final just a week prior.

Whatever rivalry there is between them, though, will be set aside for the bigger battle ahead, where Gilas 3×3 will have to go through a qualifying draw first against more experienced teams in Indonesia and Jordan.

#ReadMore  PBA: Alaska makes triumphant return, drops sluggish Ginebra to ninth

Both Flores and De Leon know that they have their work cut out for them, but the two assured that they’ll go all-in against the competition.

“It’s going to be a hard battle kasi nakita ko ‘yung lineup, sobrang laki nila. Tapos, ambibilis din. Basta sinasabi lang namin sa team nung mga past practices namin na go all in lang, no excuses,” De Leon said.

“Mapapalaban talaga tayo kasi malalaki mga player doon e, tsaka sanay sila. Hihimayin namin unti-unti para makuha namin ‘yung panalo,” vowed Flores, on the other hand.

“Tatrabahuhin talaga namin.”

Written By

Oftentimes on the sidelines. Forever a student of the game. Morayta-bred.


You May Also Like

Basketball

TNT Tropang Giga’s Calvin Oftana may have referred to their recent masterclass finals victory as a “job done,” but the versatile wingman is far...

Basketball

Another edition of the Manila Clasico will take place on Christmas Day as the PBA on Monday unveiled the full 2024-25 Commissioner’s Cup schedule....

Basketball

Poy Erram burst into tears as confetti rained inside the SMART Araneta Coliseum after TNT successfully lorded over the PBA Governors’ Cup anew. Never...

Basketball

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson won’t ever hesitate to pick up the phone should NBA teams come calling for his services. It’s where he started, after all....

Basketball

In just September of last year, Roger Pogoy faced a career-threatening ordeal after being diagnosed with a rare heart condition. Fourteen months later, the...

Basketball

Rey Nambatac always believed that TNT was where he would have the best chance to earn his breakthrough PBA championship – and that, indeed,...

Basketball

Jayson Castro finally has a PBA Finals Most Valuable Player award that he can call his own after earning as much in TNT’s successful...

Basketball

Jayson Castro has aged like fine wine – and his latest accolade is proof. The 38-year-old TNT legend was named Finals MVP of the...

Advertisement