PBA rookies CJ Perez and Robert Bolick, coming off impressive showings in the FIBA World Cup, were named to the all-pro pool of 12 players for the Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 team in the Southeast Asian Games.
Terrence Romeo, Chris Banchero, Anthony Semerad, Ian Sangalang, Raymond Almazan, Jason Perkins, Mo Tautuaa, Baser Amer, Chris Newsome and Mac Belo were also part of the pool which was finalized during Thursday’s PBA Board meeting.
“We wanna make sure that we have the best players and we want to win the gold,” said Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas President Al Panlilio during the meeting held at the PBA Office in Libis.
Four players will be selected to represent the country in the 3×3 event which will be held at The Arena in San Juan.
It will be the first time that 3×3 will be played in the SEA Games.
Perez and Bolick got a consolation of sorts of being left out of Tim Cone’s 15-man pool for the the biennial meet. Both had earlier sent feelers expressing their readiness to play in the centerpiece cage event.
Of the players on the list, it’s Romeo who is the most-experienced player in the half-court event, having represented the country in the 2014 and 2015 Manila Masters and 2014 World Tour Final.
Belo, on the other hand, played for the Philippines in the 2016 FIBA 3×3 World Championship in China. (Jonas Terrado)