Colegio de San Juan de Letran’s Rhenz Abando is no stranger to playing in a championship series.
But unlike in his previous experience, the high-flying forward finally knows what it’s like to lift the trophy after his Knights completed a sweep of the NCAA Season 97 men’s basketball tournament with a 75-65 win over Mapua in Game 2 on Sunday.
"Actually sobrang sarap. 'Yun lang masasabi ko," the 6-foot-2 Abando shared.
Before his transfer to Letran, Abando reached the finals of a different collegiate league when he played for the UST Growling Tigers. They fell short in the finals, though, leaving him wanting another crack at a title.
And he knows he couldn’t have gotten this one without the help of his teammates, including Brent Paraiso, who transferred alongside him from UST to Letran.
"Sobrang saya kasi 'di naman yun nagawa sa previous school namin. Syempre sa sarili ko, sobrang saya kasi first championship ko to as college. Kasi si Brent, nag-champion naman sa La Salle," Abando added.
"Sobrang saya ko kasi binigay din sakin 'to ng teammates ko, alam nilang gusto ko mag-champion talaga kasi 'di pa ako nagcha-champion."
Earlier in the day, Abando also won some additional hardware for his individual accomplishments.
He was named the league’s Most Valuable Player, as well as the Rookie of the Year and a member of the Mythical Five.
It was the first time since 2015 that the NCAA saw a rookie named MVP, when Mapua University's Alwell Oraeme bagged the two coveted individual awards in the same season.
But Abando doesn’t believe he deserves the honor, mostly because he does not consider himself a rookie, despite him qualifying as one under NCAA rules.
"Actually 'yung rookie (award) parang 'di ko naman deserve 'yon kasi mas deserve ng fresh grads 'yon," the star transferee said.
"Pero 'yung MVP, siguro wala namang rason 'don kasi lahat naman kami galing sa scratch. Pare-parehas kaming ilang months lang yung preparation. Lahat naman napandemic."
—JMB, GMA News
