GILAS Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone said Rhenz Abando has remained on the national team’s radar despite the Korean Basketball League standout not being included in the current pool.
Cone made the clarification following Abando’s recent comments disputing the coach’s earlier statement that the 6-foot-2 forward had failed to report for national team training after being invited last year.
According to Cone, Gilas had actually considered the former University of Santo Tomas Growling Tiger and Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knight several times, including for the original 12-man lineup.
“I know that we have considered Rhenz multiple times, even as a member of the original 12, but at that time he had a back injury,” Cone said in a Viber message to Fastbreak on Tuesday morning.
Cone also recalled another instance when Abando’s visa prevented him from joining the national team in time.
“A couple of other times, I remember, we couldn’t get him a visa in time. So, he’s always been on our radar and will continue to be,” he said.
Abando, in a recent social media live video, denied that he had ignored an invitation from the national team, but was told not to show up anymore.
“Sabi ni Coach Tim hindi ako sumipot, hindi yun totoo. Sila ang hindi nagpasipot sakin,” the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters Asian Quota Player said.
“Dahil patapos na iyung PBA Finals biglang sinabi na hindi na aabot iyung visa ko. Eh iyung visa kaya naman gawan ng paraan iyun. Saka pabalik na rin iyung mga PBA players kasi patapos na rin iyung Finals, diba?” he added.
The Pangasinan-native Abando also questioned why the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings head coach would say that he failed to show up for training.
“Ano iisipin mo sa pagkasabi na iyun, parang ginawa ka lang panakip. Saka iyung sabi ni Coach Tim na hindi ako sumipot, hindi iyun totoo. Hindi ako pinasipot,” he said.
Abando maintained that he would have immediately joined Gilas if he had been told to report for practice.
“Kasi kung sinabi nila kung pwede na ako mag-ensayo ngayon, pupunta agad ako,” he said.
Cone, for his part, suggested that timing may have played a role in Abando’s claim that he was told not to show up for Gilas training anymore.
“I’m just guessing, but probably because it was too late. But we have wanted him multiple times,” Cone said.
Cone’s latest comments indicate that Abando remains a potential option for Gilas in future competitions, despite the circumstances that prevented him from joining the team on previous occasions. (Adrian Co)
