By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Juan Gomez de Liaño is the newest Filipino to play in the Korean Basketball League.
After his stint with the Lithuanian basketball club BC Wolves already ended, the former University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons superstar will be headed to Korea and signed with the Seoul SK Knights for the 2023-2023 season of the KBL.
The development was confirmed last June 20, 2023, after Seoul SK officially welcomed the leftie guard in a team announcement.
De Liaño signed a three-year contract with the Knights and will be a huge boost to the team’s bid for a second-straight grand finals appearance.
Seoul SK had a chance to clinch the trophy during the recently concluded KBL season but Rhenz Abando and the Anyang KGC squad halted their hopes of a championship title.
With de Liaño’s arrival in Seoul, the Knights will be expected to bounce back and run a faster type of offense that suits the leftie’s playstyle.
“It was an opportunity I simply couldn’t pass up. I’m all about personal growth, and joining this team aligns perfectly with my ambitions as a basketball player,” said de Liaño.
This is already de Liaño’s third international stint after playing his import appearance debut in the Japan B. League several years ago.
De Liaño played for the division II team Earthfriends Tokyo Z but failed to remain healthy due to his recurring injuries.
After his Japan stint, de Liaño was given a chance to redeem himself in Lithuania when he grabbed the offer from the BC Wolves.
De Liaño will be joining Abando, SJ Belangel, Dave Ildefonso, and Justin Gutang as the only Filipinos offered to play as Asian imports in the KBL.
