By NIKOLE JAVIER
Filipino-American Ethan Alvano made history after becoming the first non-Korean player to win the top individual award in the 2023-2024 Korean Basketball League season.
The 6-foot sophomore Asian quota import is one of the 11 Filipinos currently seeing action in the neighboring professional league and was hailed the best against local and fellow foreign counterparts following a brilliant second year in the tournament.
In 2022, the 27-year-old guard signed with the now league-leading Wonju DB Promy in the Korean league after having played college ball in the USA and coming off a short-lived stint with San Miguel Alab Pilipinas in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) four years prior.
After 54 matches in the regular season, Alvano averaged 15.9 points built on over 50% inside shooting along with an impressive 40% clip from beyond the arc that went with 6.6 assists.
Wonju is riding the crest of a seven-game winning streak after falling to defending champion and now sorry cellar-dweller Anyang KGC, which finished in ninth place after losing key player Rhenz Abando to injury.
Aside from Alvano, his teammate, American Dedric Lawson was named foreign MVP of the season.
Wonju will tackle the winner between the quarterfinals pairing of Seoul SK Knights, last season’s finalist and Busan KCC Egis in the semifinals.
