What comes first in your mind when my name, Almond Vosotros, is mentioned? Some of you may know me as a former guard of the De La Salle Green Archers, while some may recognize me as a former PBA player of the Blackwater Elite, or a former guard from Gilas Pilipinas.
Currently, I’m one of the Asian imports of Mono Thewpaingarm in the Thailand Basketball Super League (TBSL). How did I end up here after playing for Gilas?
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Photo from TBSL
One day, there was an agent who contacted me and asked if I want to play as an Asian import in the TBSL. I gave them the contact details of my managers and a series of negotiations took place.
We eventually agreed to Mono Thew’s terms, and all was set for me to play ball in Thailand.
I was really excited to play in this tournament because it is my first time to play as an Asian import, and I also knew that they’d had high expectations for me before I even set foot here in Thailand. In order for me to live up to their expectations, I really prepared and invested a lot for this. All of my experiences during my Gilas Pilipinas stints in the Jones Cup, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA Asia Champions Cup will surely be useful.
In addition, playing here in the TBSL gave me an opportunity to improve and refine my overall game.
With Mono Thew giving me this chance, I hope that I can repay them since helping them capture their first ever TBSL championship is my topmost priority.
We eventually made a strong playoff push, but our championship hopes ended when we got defeated by the Jason Brickman-led Mono Vampire team in the semis. Despite our semis defeat, I can say that I was consistent enough to make my team proud and competitive.
Mono Thew also became a family of sorts for me. Actually, majority of my teammates, coaches and team managers really like my presence in their team. They often say that I should stay here in Thailand and play for them longer. Everytime they say that, it really lights a smile up on my face since it shows how much they appreciate my efforts game in and game out.
After this tournament, I hope that I get another chance to play in the PBA again. I’m just working hard and doing my best here in the TBSL so that when an offer comes for me to play in the Philippines again, I’ll be ready.
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Photo from TBSL
As of publishing, Vosotros is averaging norms of 15.5 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 three-pointers made, 1.7 turnovers and 1 steal in over 30 minutes per game. Moreover, his league-best performance came during their 112-102 win against Kabayan Pilipinas last February 17. Vosotros finished the game with a triple double feat of 25 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds.
Vosotros and Mono Thew are set to play their last game of the tournament against Mad Goat this coming March 31. The winner will end up as the league’s second runner-up.
Prior to his current run with Mono Thew, Vosotros last saw action for Chooks-To-Go Gilas Pilipinas during the 2017 FIBA Asia Champions Cup.
